The Last Wolf
by BrutalAftershock
Summary: Garviel Loken, the Last Wolf of Cthonia finds himself on a world he has no recollection of. Waking up after centuries of suspended animation, he discovers that even in this new world, away from a galaxy at war, Chaos will always seep in. However Chaos finds good company in Goblins. He will have to confront the orchestrator of Chaos, while Goblin Slayer will as always. Slay Goblins.
1. Chapter 1

The Last Wolf

Chapter 1: Suspended No More

Loken stirred for the first time in 470 years. His surgically implanted suspended animation membrane disengaged, slowly delivering him from his death-like slumber. He opened his eyes, obscured by the photo-lenses of his helmet and was met with darkness. As consciousness returned, so too did the function of his silver, baroque power armour. Static fizzled in his sight for several seconds before the boot sequence of his helmet and its inbuilt features lined his vision. The hum of his power pack met his ears as well as the audio feed from his helmet. All was silent around him besides the slow, steady dripping of water. His wrist mounted Storm Bolter was missing, nowhere to be seen. Dusty skeletons in old, ragged and discoloured robes littered the ground around him, with the empty shells of traitor Astartes power armour among them.

His helmet showed him the outlines of his environment as a series of green lines. Crags and uneven walls led him to the conclusion he was underground, evidenced by the outlines of rows of stalactites above him. He made to stand but staggered forward onto his hands and knees, robbed of strength by centuries of inactivity. Upon hitting the ground, his hand brushed against something with the sound of metal gliding against metal. He looked and saw his sword lying haphazardly on the cave floor with the blade submerged in a pool of water. Gripping the wall and his sword, he stood using the wall for support. Tentatively, he began to walk.

After navigating winding, labyrinthine tunnels and passages for over an hour according to his chronometer, he soon came to an opening from which he could hear sound. Chanting, gargling, the beating of drums. And the screams. He quickened his pace and stumbled several times, his legs still not having the full support of his stiff muscles. Loken saw a strange thing, a pole with a the skull of an agricultural animal he didn't recognise topping it, with several bones crudely criss-crossed under the skull. A totem. Whatever was in this cave was primitive in his estimate. The chants and gargles didn't sound human either. Gripping his sword tighter, he pressed on prepared to find and, should it be required, eliminate whatever was in there.

The orange glow of fire and the accompanying crackling of burning wood greeted him from an opening to his left. A shadow, small and distinctly inhuman swept past the entrance to the adjacent chamber. He rounded the corner and saw it. Small Green-skins danced and jeered around a large pyre. Some beat bones against crudely fashioned drums. But horrifyingly, they had prisoners, a normal thing amongst some Ork Klans, but this was beyond anything he'd seen or expected of them. They were mating with several captured human women. They were the source of the screams.

''Xenos...'' fury welled up and burned like boiling tar within Garviel Loken. His voice rumbled through his helmet's vox-caster sounding like storm within the cavern. All of the Green-skins ceased their activity and turned to him, malevolence in their yellow, animal eyes. Their was no preamble to combat as by little more than instinct they readied their weapons and came at him. Had they no clue what they faced? He was an Astartes, one of the Emperor's chosen warriors, a veteran of battles no mortal had any business fighting. And they threw themselves at him with naught but scavenged and poorly maintained weapons. His power sword snapped to life as a white corona of energy surrounded the blade's edge; the energy crackling while the weapon's built in micro-reactor hummed.

He snatched the first from the air as it leapt at him, catching it by the head in his left hand and ruptured its skull like a grape, spilling brain and viscera over his gauntlet. He carved a bloody path through Green-skin after Green-skin, seemingly unshaken by the slaughter they'd incurred. Again, quite normal behaviour for their kind. He swept his power sword through three in one swift movement; their blood hissed as it cooked off of his energised blade. Turning, he backhanded one attacking from behind across the chamber. He felt something strike his pauldron and turned. One of the Green-skins was hurling bolts of energy at him. He ran at it, taking blast after blast to his breastplate, which stopped once the Green-skin seized up out of sheer terror. Loken lifted a single leg and stomped down on the creature, reducing its hideous form to little more than red-green paste beneath his boot.

The room went quiet save for the crackling pyre and the quiet whimpers of those women still conscious. Loken's armour was no longer silver, but spattered with smears of red. He regarded the women with the icy blue lenses of his helmet. The ones who were in a condition to look at him flinched, unsure whether to rejoice, or finish up whatever prayers they offered. He looked from them, to a dark tunnel on the other side of the chamber, then back to them.

''The Green-skins...'' he said, the vox-growl making them flinch again, ''How many?'' none answered. Some looked between each other, each expecting another to answer. ''How many?'' he asked louder.

''Th-this is a Goblin nest. There are a lot m-more ahead.'' one of them said quietly.

''Goblins?'' Loken questioned. Though she met his lensed eyes, she turned her eyes down when he spoke.

''Y-yes. Are you… from the guild?'' she asked with a hopeful look. He knew not of what she spoke. He hazarded a guess that some guild was meant to deal with these creatures. If that was so, then he supposed that meant he appeared as some sort of saviour. He didn't mind, after all it was his duty to purge for the sake of humanity.

''No. Is this their duty?'' he asked.

''Yes. S-someone will usually take a request to kill these creatures. But it's seen a-as a waste of time by many.'' she replied.

''It's never a waste of time killing Xenos. Let even one live, and there will be a hundredfold. Green-skins in particular.'' Loken said grimly. ''You seem coherent, can you stand?'' she hesitated and forced her legs into action, slowly standing. ''Good. Any others?'' her face became one of both disgust and sadness.

''I'm sorry, but these to have been the toys of the Goblins for hours now. When they were finished, they'd have moved on to me. I don't know why they didn't already, but I won't turn down a blessing.'' she said, her voice sounding stronger. She gestured to the other two women, both motionless and catatonic. The sight and the though of these things turned his stomach and a fresh wave of hatred roiled within him.

''There's more further in. That's where I think their leader is. I saw them drag the others back there.'' she shuddered.

''Very well. If you can, find a way out and get help.'' he said, ''As for these two, what is done about them?'' her countenance became grim.

''If left to their own devices, it's pretty common that victims of Goblins that survive will take their own lives. But a lot also go to the temple and become recluses. The latter is probably the best of any possibilities really.'' she said.

''Do none seek vengeance?'' that question surprised her.

''Not that I know of, but I'm sure some have. Why?'' she inquired. Loken shook his head lightly.

''Mere musings. Flee if you can, and do what you can for them. As for myself, I have Goblins to purge.'' he turned and took a step before she called him.

''Please, whoever you are, I beg you… slaughter them all.'' she pleaded. Loken never turned to look at her, but did respond.

''My name is unimportant. I am a Grey Knight. That is all that matters.'' with that, he marched onward further into the darkness, the silver shine of his armour vanishing into the shadows.

''Grey Knight. I'll remember that.''

* * *

Barial Tor saw this most recent development as a gift from the Dark Gods. The Warp had shot him off to a brand new world on his lonesome; a cursed exile to most, but a golden opportunity him. He was a Dark Apostle of the Word Bearers Traitor Legion, hailing from the Daemon World of Sicarius. He knew he had been sent with a divine purpose, and he would serve Chaos Undivided with the utmost fervour to completion. He would turn this world to the worship of Chaos.

He wandered for a time, accruing strays and rejects from society, using his powerful oratory skills to turn them to Chaos. Not that it was hard, people with nothing left will turn to anything with the right words. Eventually, his flock grew, and even other species joined his sermons. The Dark Apostle was growing into a name venerated amongst the lost and forgotten.

As he travelled with his followers, he happened across a town that had been ransacked and burned, it's men and children slain and its women missing. He felt eyes on him. Yellow, goat-like eyes from all directions. The creatures watching emerged one by one; some from houses, others from bushes and behind tipped wagons. They approached cautiously, perturbed by the Dark Apostle's followers' lack of reaction to them. But what interested them was the Dark Apostle himself.

Barial eyed the creatures. They looked like Green-skins, though they had some distinct differences. Smaller jaws, unlike the fang-filled death trap that was an Ork's. They also had sickly yellow goat eyes, rather than the burning red of the Orks. A sub-species perhaps? Some evolutionary derivative? Wait, were those reproductive organs? Indeed they were. Some of the lesser-clothed creatures definitely had reproductive organs. Orks had none at all, reproducing through fungal spores.

''Goblins, my lord.'' one of his commune informed. The Dark Apostle nodded to him and turned to face the Goblins. They had felt the taint of Chaos on him from miles away. It was what kept them from moving on once their raid was done. They felt drawn to it, like moths to flame.

''What has you enraptured so, creatures?'' Barial asked aloud. The Goblins continued staring, but looked between each other. He held up an eight-pointed star, the symbol of Chaos Undivided for them to see. Their soulless eyes followed it intently, whilst flicking from it to the etchings, scriptures, and symbols on his power armour.

''Ah, I see now. You wish to observe the powers, do you?'' a smile crept into his smooth, dulcet voice. ''Very well then. Come closer, and I shall enlighten you all.''

* * *

Garviel Loken trudged on through the darkness, undaunted by the task ahead of him. Along his path he saw more evidence of the Goblins and what they did. Scraps of clothing, blood, and personal effects such as necklaces, rings, and other such trinkets. To him it was unthinkable that these vile creatures weren't actively hunted down day after day, exterminated like the vermin they were. He passed more totems down the tunnel, and winding side passages. He stopped, looking at two dark maws that sat before him. A cross roads. He looked at each and frowned. He looked at the ground to look for any clues as to which way the Goblins went, though he knew that either tunnel would lead to them, he had mortals to rescue if possible.

There were scratches on the stone, and faint disturbances in the dust. Rows of tracks overlapping, but faint with drag marks spread between at irregular intervals. The tunnel to his right looked to be the correct tunnel, and so he marched on with vengeance fuelling his stride. Suddenly he stopped, the thudding of his power armoured feet ceasing. He turned and was met with a blast of magic to his chest as a Goblin shaman and a host of Goblins came careening from the tunnel he'd just come from. An ambush. With his thoughts racing, his advanced cognition led him to conclude that his power sword would be impractical in such an enclosed environment, as the tunnel was barely wide or tall enough for him to walk through without stooping. Sheathing his blade, he pulled his knife from his waist, a sword for an average mortal, and took it in a hammer grip. He would need to thrust and strike with his extremities in such tight confines.

Arrows snapped and clinked off of his armour as Goblins at the back of the group near the shaman fired in sloppy, ill-timed volleys. Others swarmed around his legs, stabbing and striking at the ceremite plates. He kicked and stabbed down at them, launching some down the tunnel and splitting others in two with his knife. An explosion of light stung his eyes as a bolt of magic struck his face plate, temporarily blinding him. Only the retro-jets on his power pack steadied him as his tired legs almost failed to support his backward lurch. He felt something slam into him from behind, though his auto-senses warned him, his stagger slowed his reaction to it. Whatever it was was heavy enough to knock him forward, toppling him. Loken fell, crushing a score of Goblins under his weight.

He rolled, smearing crushed Goblin remains across his front and the cave floor and onto his back. Above him was a much larger Goblin, much more comparable to an Ork than its lesser kin. Taller and broader than a man, with the sheer muscle mass to match an Ork. It stood glaring with animal hostility. Another wave of Goblins surged forth and climbed on Loken, working their fingers into the neck joint to remove his helmet, while aiming their blades at the joints of his armour. Fortunately, the joints were made of a reinforced rubber-like material, preventing their laughable weapons from compromising his armour. With a sudden shot of adrenaline supplied to his system via the breastplate's built in chem injectors, he shot up. Goblins were torn from Loken as he thrashed, kicked, and swatted at them, crushing the ones not killed by his wild swings against the cave walls.

With a growl of effort he lunged for the large Goblin. At his full height, Garviel was a head taller than the Green-skin. He slammed an open hand into its throat and forced his full weight against it. Over a ton of angry Astartes took it to ground, pinning it. His grip tightened to immense proportions, making its eyes bulge from its sockets and froth spill from its gargling mouth. It struggled, thrashing its limbs wildly and scratching with gnarled fingernails, filling the cave with the piercing shriek of nails on metal.

''Die...'' Loken growled and increased his grip, forcing a choked wheeze from the Hob Goblin's throat. He raised his knife and slammed it down between the Hob's eyes. Its yellow orbs rolled to the back of its head and it twitched and gargled even after death. It didn't escape the Grey Knight that the other Goblins had ceased their assault. He stood and turned, and the Goblins stood unsure of their enemy. One Goblin stood shaking, terrified of this new foe. He was the first to flee, dropping his weapon and pushing through his kin to run back to his hole. Then one after another followed, with none but the shaman remaining.

Its staff glowed yellow as magic surged through it and a ball of mana expanded at the top of the stave. Before it could be loosed or the Goblin could even realise what happened, Loken threw his knife, impaling the Goblin through the forehead; two thirds of the blade protruded from the back of its skull. Loken breathed as he felt the effects of the adrenaline shot begin to subside. He retrieved his knife, ripping it from the Goblin's head and carried on past the Hob Goblin's corpse.

* * *

She had no idea how long she would be able to hold out, but by the Supreme God she would not go down without a fight. Female Paladin had miraculously found the strength to overwhelm her would-be captives, stealing a sword from one of the vile things, and kept them at bay whilst defending her fellow captors. There were seven of them in total, all captured to be used as toys and breeding stock for the Goblins. Not on her watch. Though she was naked, wounded, and at a total disadvantage in numbers, she felt no fear whilst she held a blade. If she could stand and fight, then she would take any given chance she could.

The Goblins edged closer, cautious, but that malevolent blood lust and carnal hunger still shone in their soulless eyes. Female Paladin scowled and held her ground defiantly, the only thing between the Goblins and the women behind her.

''Come then, vile bastards! Come and face a woman who will fight to the death!'' she bellowed her challenge. She back-stepped as three goblins attacked and swung her blade, much too large for the Goblin she took it from. The steel cleaved through all three and she stepped forward to her previous position. Being a Paladin, she was very well versed in fighting defensively. She knew how to use every angle, every inch of her weapons to their maximum defensive potential. Backed against a wall, quite literally in her case, she would be immovable with her heavy war plate and shield.

More came and were cut down with the very end of her blade as she moved with strategic purpose. Their tactic of overwhelming their target seemed to be of little use as she would seemingly predict their movements and act accordingly. This was far from her first time fighting Goblins, much less being cornered by them. However, she'd never been bested by them until that day, when a Hob Goblin had managed to overpower her whilst protecting a group of priestesses on a pilgrimage. Her charges huddled together behind her, offering all the prayers they could muster.

The green tide parted as another Hob made its presence known and strode forth to face her. She recognised it as it bore a fresh scar across its face, a reminder of its mistake in taking the Paladin lightly. However like all Goblins, it learned quickly.

''Come to die, have you? I can grant you that wish. Come at me, monster!'' she yelled, setting into posta di donna stance with the sword held diagonally across her back and her body twisted. She hoped to end this fight quickly as her wound was starting to take its toll. A bloody gash was cut into her side. Any one of lesser will power would have either passed out or outright refused to fight had they remained conscious. With a roar, the Hob came at her, rushing headlong to crush her. Once he entered the proper range, she struck. When he swiped with an open hand to strike her non-lethally, she countered, striking the fingers from its hand. It recoiled howling and grunting as equal amounts agony and fury coursed through the Hob Goblin. Though it regained its composure quickly and growled viscously as drool ran in rivers down its chin.

Female Paladin hadn't anticipated such a quick recovery, as it struck with the force of a bull with the other hand. Pain washed over her and her right shoulder didn't feel quite right as she rolled to a stop near the terrified priestesses. Still, she was determined to live. In spite of the pain and sickening heat she felt from her broken shoulder, she forced every muscle she could to make her stand once again.

''It will… take more… than that.'' she growled between pauses of painful breath. 'Why isn't someone from the guild here? Surely there was a request put forward. If only Goblin Slayer was here.' she thought. Knowing that her already minimal chances of a successful escape had been all but crushed, she said a prayer to the Supreme God for their ends to be quick, and that he knew she did all she could. She looked up when she heard what sounded like a panicked Goblin from the chamber entrance and saw the other Goblins had turn to look as well. From behind the vile little bastard she could see eyes. Eyes of light. And a sword which seemed divine with its searing white corona. The Goblin was split in half from scalp to loin by the crackling, energy wreathed blade.

What stepped into the chamber from the shadows was like nothing she had ever seen. The figure was imposing, standing taller than anyone she'd ever seen, and wider too. The armour they wore was beautifully decorated with frescos and lined with gold and sigils she didn't recognise. Though the figure was drenched in blood across the front, it did little to diminish the beauty of the armour. A tired but relieved smile made its way to her face. She felt as though her prayer had been answered.

''Gaze upon your end, Xenos. Death comes for you.'' Loken announced. His form and voice through the vox must have made them believe he was death incarnate as the Goblins began to back up defensively. Faster than anything of his size and weight should have any right to, he charged down the sloping cave stone, seemingly appearing suddenly before the horde. The Goblins all shared the same reaction; seizing up with fright, with some having time to piss themselves as the Gray Knight set his power sword to work, reaping the little monsters like wheat. Even Female Paladin and the nuns froze in place as they watched the sheer speed of the armoured demigod of war.

Goblin bodies were bisected and decapitated by the lightning fast, precise strikes. He massacred them with brutal efficiency, using blade, fist, and boot to dispatch them. The last of them was impaled on his blade as it tried to run away, lifted off of the ground and thrown across the chamber, splatting against a wall.

''You did well.'' Loken said after a moment of silence. Female Paladin blinked, momentarily forgetting the pain in her shoulder and side. Loken turned to face her and she was taken aback. He looked even grander up close, like the wrath of the Supreme God made manifest. ''With your wounds, I'd have expected the worst.''

She thankfully found her voice, ''T-thank you. Your intervention was timely. I was certain we were finished.'' she said gratefully.

''Are there any more of you?'' he asked. She looked at the nuns, who in turn returned her gaze.

''No. We're all that live down here now. The others before us were not so fortunate.'' she replied. ''Though there are still Goblins further in. Though I doubt there are little more than infants now.'' She saw the subtle movement of his fingers curling slightly tighter around the hilt of his sword.

''Then I will slay them too. None shall live while I am present. Find whatever you can for clothing and leave this place. I shall not take long.''

* * *

Loken finally left the caverns, finding the surviving women at the mouth of the cave, all dressed in some semblance of clothing scavenged from the Goblins. It was night when he got out, and the temperature reading on his tactical display told him it was a warm night, so they had no worries about freezing or succumbing to exposure. Their eyes were firmly locked on him. He knew why. No matter where an Astartes may go, he will always draw attention from regular humans. Female Paladin stood supported by a couple of the nuns, while the woman Loken met before cared for the two less fortunate women. She had covered them with a blanket, though the gesture seemed to go unnoticed by them. As far removed from baseline humanity as he was, Loken still felt the stirrings of pity within him. He was incredibly humane compared to his Astartes brethren, and it showed in his dealings with the citizenry during his time in the Great Crusade.

''I thank you. Sincerely. Without you I'd hate to think of the fate that awaited us.'' Female Paladin said gratefully. She had recovered scraps of her armour; her boots, gauntlets, and breastplate. ''What will you do now?''

Loken swept his gaze across the rolling plains before him. There were no signs of civilisation save dirt roads for miles. He had no way of knowing which way to go, and he needed information. He looked down at the gathering of young women. There was no telling if there were more Goblins in the area, and if he left, he would hate himself for leaving them defenceless should anything happen.

''Do you know if there will be anyone passing by here? Any form of transport?'' he questioned.

''Wagons travel these roads between the frontier towns regularly. Adventurers often use them to travel to their jobs.'' Female Paladin informed. Loken nodded, quiet for a moment.

''Then I shall wait until transport arrives. What shall happen upon returning to your town?'' he said, much to the relief of the others.

''I shall return to the Temple of The Supreme God with these priestesses. I was to escort them there after their pilgrimage. After that, I suppose I will head to the Guild and find another request to complete.'' Female Paladin said. ''However, I believe that these two poor souls will be best off coming with me to the temple. They can receive treatment and help there.''

''I'll check in with my family, then start work at the Guild again. I'm a barmaid, so they're not gonna get their drinks if I'm not around.'' she said light heartedly.

''Take some time to rest. I will take watch for the night. No harm will come to you.'' Loken said.

''Shouldn't you get some sleep too? After all, all of that fighting must have tired you.'' Female Paladin said. Loken shook his head.

''No. I believe I've slept enough. Now get some rest.'' he replied, turning his back to them and standing behind them in front of the cave entrance as to allow no remaining Goblins to get past him, should any had escaped his blade.

''Good night then, Gray Knight. And thank you.'' Barmaid said with a smile. When all fell silent save for the soft snores of his charges, the last loyal son of Cthonia, the Last Wolf, began his vigil.

Concept Explanation: Transhuman Dread. A phenomenon which occurs when an unaugmented or otherwise ordinary being, human or not, faces an Adeptus Astartes head on. This is what I had the Goblins experience.

"Transhuman dread. Aximand had heard iterators talk of the condition. He'd heard descriptions of it from regular Army officers too. The sight of an Adeptus Astartes was one thing: taller and broader than a man could ever be, armoured like a demigod. The singularity of purpose was self-evident. An Adeptus Astartes was designed to fight and kill anything that didn't annihilate it first. If you saw an Adeptus Astartes, you knew you were in trouble. The appearance alone cowed you with fear.

"But to see one move. Apparently that was the real thing. Nothing human-shaped should be so fast, so lithe, so powerful, especially not anything in excess of two metres tall and carrying more armour than four normal men could lift. The sight of an Adeptus Astartes was one thing, but the moving fact of one was quite another. The psychologists called it transhuman dread. It froze a man, stuck him to the ground, caused his mind to lock up, made him lose control of bladder and bowel. Something huge and warlike and moving with the speed of a striking snake, that was when you knew that gods moved amongst men, and that there existed a scale of strength and speed beyond anything mortal, and that you were about to die and, if you were really lucky, there might be just enough time to piss yourself first."

-Age Of Darkness Page 163

 **Thought I'd take a stab at some Goblin Slayer. Not much to say for a first chapter aside from Review and tell me what you think. I fancied the idea of taking an established character from 40k, or more specifically 30k, and so place post-heresy Garviel Loken in the world of Goblin Slayer, as we really don't know what happened to him once the Heresy ended, aside from it being implied he was among the first eight Gray Knights. That's all for now, BrutalAftershock out.**


	2. Signs of War

The Last Wolf

Chapter 2: Signs of War

The cart ride back was a welcome reprieve after their ordeal in the caves. A cart had come by at noon. It was explained by the driver that had arrived that he'd run his last delivery for the day, and so was happy to pick them up. However, he wasn't so certain about the golem they had with them. Loken hadn't taken to kindly to being likened to a mindless automata, but held his tongue regardless. Loken chose to walk, doubting the carts ability to hold his weight, and the horses ability to pull him along.

The planet looked pleasant enough with green grass and snow capped mountains; but anywhere would look good compared to many of the worlds he'd been to. Istvaan III would always stand out in his mind as a nightmare of a planet after the virus bombing. Not only had the world been scorched in the fires of war, first by the legions and the planet's population, but then by the legions between themselves. Rubble and the dead intermingled into a mix of permacrete and gore, with the colours of Astartes power armour mixed somewhere in between. He remembered having no choice but to walk over the dead as the ground beneath them had been completely engulfed by the corpses of humans and Astartes. The death toll was simply that high.

As time passed, the landscape began to change. Slowly, green fields and blue skies turned to mud and black, smoke choked clouds. Then the signs of war showed themselves. Soldiers of all races; human, elf, dwarf, Lizardman, Padfoot, and many more in the united front lay scattered about the battlefield, many half buried in mud. Flags flew tattered and burned as their mountings sat slanted and broken. Defences still stood, though the evidence suggested they did little to stop the enemy. Rows upon rows of spiked walls made of sharpened logs sat raised from the ground.

Flies swarmed this place and the stench of rot was overpowering. Many of the allied fronts dead were in varied stages of decay. Crows cawed up above, circling the battlefield like a black cloud of ill omen.

"We'd best be gone from here. The only other route to the Water Town is through an active battlefield last I heard. The sooner we get through here the better." The driver said, a quiver in his voice.

"This battlefield. What caused this?" Loken asked. The driver looked at him with shock.

"The golem speaks?" He questioned loudly.

"Answer the question."

"Er, well, the Demon Lord's armies have been seizing territory across the country side. The main force is besieging the Capital, but I've heard from my cousin that he's got a armies coming out of reserve to establish another power base." The driver said.

"You seem awfully knowledgeable for a cart driver. Former soldier?" Loken asked.

"Aye sir, that I am. Cousin is a captain of the 108th infantry regiment fighting at the Capital. I tell you, you see weapons in the Capital that just don't make their way out into the frontier. Gunpowder weapons, loudest thing you'll ever hear next to cannons." He explained.

"And what of you?"

"Oh, well I'm formerly 112th cannoneers. Served 15 years. Even fought in the previous Demon War. Retired after that."

"These Demons, they don't bare any specific markings do they?" Loken asked, suddenly very serious.

"None that I know of. Only markings I see on them are scars from bullets and blades, sir."

"I'd have thought you'd have faced Demons before." Female Paladin spoke up.

"I have. But the ones I have faced typically bear markings. I may be worrying about nothing, in which case you should consider yourselves very fortunate." Loken said grimly.

"I have seen many sights just like this," he said referring to the muddy field of death surrounding them, "and the sooner I can stop seeing them the better. However, my purpose calls me to die on the battlefield."

"Just where have you come from, Grey Knight?" Bargirl asked. She sheltered herself from the sight and smell of the battlefield beneath a large piece of cloth.

"Somewhere far from here." He replied curtly.

"Seen too many sights like this myself. Part of the reason I retired if I'm honest. " the cart driver said.

After an hour the field of rot was behind them, though it troubled Loken. There were no Demon corpses that he could see, meaning the battle was either not a battle at all, but an ambush. The other possibility was that the Demon army that attacked was simply overwhelmingly powerful. From the state of the corpses, the battle had been over for at least three weeks. So then why hadn't anyone come to retrieve the dead? Was someone or something stopping the efforts to do so?

"Why hasn't anyone collected the dead? The battle looks to be three weeks done." Loken inquired.

"Something evil hangs over that battlefield, Grey Knight." Female Paladin answered. "I felt it. Like a cloud of malevolence. But even without that, there's no one to do it. All resources at the Capital's disposal are solely focused on fighting the siege."

Just like Istvaan III. That world was one of Nurgle's domains now. The dead couldn't be collected as the Life Eater Virus released by the virus bombs killed 8 billion people, reducing those who didn't find cover to liquefied meat and bones. Even then, those amongst the living were in the midst of reanimated corpses, given un-life by the God of entropy.

"Given the lack of enemy dead, I'd say this new offensive from the Demon Lord is working." Loken said.

"Aye. Can't say I disagree. We're having to rely on adventures to make any real difference." The cart driver said.

"Adventurers? I've heard that term before. What are they?"

"Hired blades to be blunt about it. Powerful though. The one who's dealing with the Demon Lord's generals is such a one."

"So you leave the fate of your nation to mercenaries!" Loken spat.

"Aye, sir. Don't like it myself, but they get the job done. It was an adventurer who slew the last Demon Lord a decade ago."

"Do not be so quick to dismiss us as mere sell-swords. Many of us do it for the mobility it gives us to be of better aid to the people. My allegiance lies with the Temple, but the guild allows me to move freely." Female Paladin said defensively.

"I've spoken to a lot of adventurers looking for revenge too. Goblin Slayer is one of those." Bargirl said.

'Does no one have names on this planet?' Loken thought. Though he supposed it made for more efficient communication. No need for questions as to what someone does. They are what they do. It reminded him of how Adeptus Astartes was synonymous with being death incarnate, so he supposed it worked.

* * *

Night fell and Water Town was on the horizon. The others had fallen asleep, with the only ones still awake being Loken and the cart driver. There were no longer open plains surrounding them, but a dense wood that blotted out the moonlight. There was no breeze, rendering the trees silent and still, as only the rolling of wheels, clopping of hooves, and the thudding of power armoured feet filled the air.

Something wasn't sitting well with the Grey Knight. Over centuries of active combat duty, he had honed what was akin to a sixth sense for battle. He knew when he had eyes on him, and knew what they intended.

"Driver, pick up the pace. We're not alone out here." Loken said. He readied his sword; the power field crackled around the adamantine blade in small arcs of lethal energy before steadying into a thin white corona, lightly buzzing with the flow of power.

"You're sure?" He wasn't asking out of ignorance, but concern if the Grey Knight would be alright by himself. The driver might have been a retired soldier, but he was still far from useless.

"Yes. Now go!" Loken ordered.

"Aye, sir. Yah!" The driver yelled as he lashed the reigns, prompting the horse into a gallop. Loken gripped his sword with both hands. For several tense minutes he waited, never dropping his guard as the feeling of eyes on him had not gone away. Then he heard it; the revving of a chain weapon.

Out of the shaded woods preceded by the fiery red of a visor, came what he least expected. Rushing at him with chain axe raised, in the familiar white and blue colours of the twelfth was a raging, blood thirsty warrior of the World Eaters Legion. The bulk of the World Eater crashed into the surprised Grey Knight, knocking him back.

The World Eater was drenched in blood from fresh kills. The adamantine teeth of his chain axe dripped with gore, and severed heads, still with colour in their faces hung from their hair from his belt.

The animal snarl of the chain axe rushed past Loken's head as he narrowly dodged the horizontal strike. He rushed at Loken with wild swings, each narrowly dodged as the teeth of the weapon nicked his armour sending sparks into the darkness.

"I don't recognise your armour. But you will die all the same." The World Eater snarled. He back-stepped away from from a flourish of Loken's blade.

"But I recognise yours, traitor." Loken hissed.

"Ah, loyalist scum. Your skull is mine!" The chain axe roared as it was swung. Loken batted it aside with his free hand, and kicked the traitor Astartes in the breastplate, knocking him to the ground. He rolled and avoided a downward swing and got back to his feet.

"Grey Knight!" Loken heard the voice and recognised it as Female Paladin. He didn't dare look away from the World Eater. He cursed under his breath. Why did she have to try and come back for him? She would stand no chance against a sane Astartes, much less a crazed World Eater.

"Stay back!" Loken roared. "This isn't a foe you can hope to best." Female Paladin froze in her tracks as the two resumed their battle. The roar of the chain axe was nearly deafening and filled her with a primal fear she hadn't yet experienced. The two colossal warriors were mere blurs in motion as they attacked, countered, flourished, and parried.

She was beginning to question what she thought she could do in a battle between such combatants. Each blow of the chain axe that clashed with the power swords edge made her flinch instinctively as the product was a horrific roaring screech. Truly what the Gray Knight said was true. That mad warrior was not an opponent she could face and win against. There was so much raw physical power behind each of their attacks that she knew that even a glancing blow would shatter her bones even in her full plate armour. Even without their supernatural strength and speed, her injuries would only hinder her.

And the speed. The speed was unreal. She thought the Gray Knight was fast facing the goblins, but now she realised he wasn't even taking the goblins seriously. Now when faced with an opponent who was his equal, he pulled out all stops and showed her just how marvellous and terrifying an Astartes in motion could be.

She failed to notice when the World Eater was coming at her as the speed of his charge was blinding. She could only watched as the chain axe was raised high, ready to chew through body. She was startled by the sound of metal crashing into metal as the World Eater was sent crashing to the ground with Loken on top of him.

"Your fight is with me, traitor!" Loken bellowed as he stabbed down at the blood-crazed Astartes. The World Eater evaded the stabs, and before Loken could swing the sword across his throat, the traitor kicked him off and leapt to his feet as Loken stumbled back.

Loken caught the axe by the shaft and the World Eater caught his sword arm by the wrist. The two struggled against each other; the crazed Astartes pushed his arm further down, bringing the roaring teeth of the chain axe closer to Loken's armoured head with his Chaos enhanced strength.

Once more, the chem injectors in Loken's breastplate injected him with a shot of adrenaline, making his muscles release an incredible burst of strength. Loken tore his wrist from the traitor's grip and swung his blade across his body, cutting the World Eater's axe arm off at the elbow, leaving a glowing orange circle of super heated metal and sizzling cauterised flesh. Loken followed up with a slash across the stomach, spilling the traitor's guts down his legs and onto the ground.

The World Eater fell to his knees, laughing and growling to himself. He looked up at Loken.

"Do it. Finish me off. My skull will join countless others on the throne of Khorne. My death… is a blessing." He snarled, sounding happier than one should in his position.

"Why are you here traitor? Surely there are more of you." Loken demanded. The traitor Astartes laughed harshly and coughed.

"Many, many more. Though those creatures are terrible summoners. Astartes are… surprisingly hard to call from the Warp." He coughed once more. "Might I know the name of my slayer?"

"Garviel Loken. The last loyal son of Cthonia." The mad Astartes flew into raucous laughter when Loken said his name, confusing the Gray Knight.

"Oh this is brilliant. Kharn spoke of you, and he wants a rematch."

"What? I killed him. I impaled him on those dozer blades at the siege of Terra. They tore through his chest! I watched him die!"

"Seek out the Dark Apostle, and you will find him. I care not for the yammering zealot, so kill him if you wish."

"Very well. I will hunt you to the last, just as we did during the Great Scouring. Now die, traitorous scum." Loken spat with contempt before delivering the death blow, separating the traitor's helmeted head from his neck. The body slumped forward and hit the ground with a metallic thud.

Loken stood over the body in contemplative silence. His power sword disengaged and its white corona ebbed and dissipated. He would need to move the body. There was no telling what would happen if ordinary people got their hands on advanced technology. Power armour could possibly be reverse engineered, but that was unlikely. However, weapons were much easier to reverse engineer. It seemed like a universal rule sentient species were far more adept at crafting weapons to kill than armour to protect. If the goblins were anything like their Ork cousins, then letting them find the chain axe especially wasn't an option.

"What was that?" Female Paladin asked, breaking Loken from his thoughts.

"A traitor. Someone I'd have called brother once." He replied sullenly. He looked at her as he mag-locked his sword to his hip. "Why did you follow me?"

"I came to help you. It's quite common to find bandits on these roads nowadays. With the army away and only the city guard remaining, brigands have free reign of the roads." She said.

"The others?"

"Still on the cart. They should be at the Water Town by now."

"Good. We should hurry and join them, but first I must dispose of the corpse and his weapon."

* * *

Deep beneath the Water Town, in the labyrinthine chambers and canals of the sewers, the Dark Apostle had taken his convent to spread the word of Chaos. Barial had heard from one of his followers, a former resident of the Water Town, that goblins had made a nest for themselves in the sewers. To the Apostle's surprise, the goblins were very, very receptive to the teachings of Chaos. It wasn't that they understood what he preached, but they understood the root meaning of his words, as if the Warp was trickling into their minds with his words as the vessel. With this in mind, he and his convent had slipped into the sewers to share the tenants of the gods.

Unfortunately, goblins made for terrible summoners, and even worse sacrifices. Their minds, even infused with Chaos, were still only just beyond sapient. Intelligent animals really. Their understanding of the rituals of the Dark Apostle were therefore limited. Only a small handful of traitor Astartes had been summoned, mostly World Eaters, and one Thousand Sons sorcerer. However, much to Barial's delight, one of the said World Eaters summoner was Kharn the Bloody, now the Betrayer.

"What value do these frail Green-skins have, Apostle? What whispers have driven you to this?" Kharn questioned. His voice was a deep, accented purr outside of combat. That was lost when the Butchers Nails began firing kill signals into his brain.

"Oh, much value Kharn. These creatures take in The Word like no other creature I've seen. Where humans will question, goblins will learn. With their numbers and varied morphology, I could create an army of expendable, near limitless soldiers. No whispers drive me to this, World Eater. No. It is only the will of the Gods." Barial replied.

He and Kharn, and several of his devoted followers walked the pathways beside the canals. Several followers carried Barails dark tomes, while some held lanterns.

One of them stopped, his position at the back leaving him unnoticed by the others. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw something glide just beneath the surface of the water. With his arm extended, he lit the surface of the water with his lantern. Nothing. He tried to look deeper, scanning for any movement or disturbance.

Kharn, more aware of his surroundings due to centuries of fighting in frenzied melees, having to react to blows from barely a metre away out of his field of vision, turned as he felt something was wrong. The followers barely had the time to stop at the suddenness of Kharn's cease in movement.

"You! What are you doing, get moving!" He ordered, his voice scratched and rumbled through his helmets vox-grill. The stray follower turned, startled by Kharn. He took two step before the water seemingly exploded. From the canal, a great beast of white scale and gnashing teeth launched itself up and snapped its immense jaws down on the follower, its steak knife teeth ripping into his flesh. As quickly as it came, it sunk beneath the murky surface of the water, leaving only a red trail which quickly faded as it went deeper.

Kharn revved his immense chain axe, one of the old twin weapons of his Primarch, Angron. Gorechild. The members of the dark convent raised whatever weapons they had. Some had swords, others wood splitting axes, and weapons made of bone amongst the Lizardmen.

"Calm yourselves and keep moving. That thing seemed to only respond to light. Keep your lights away from the water." Barial said in a hushed voice. He had nothing to base that claim on, but he decided it was a better explanation than nothing. He himself gripped his Accursed Crozius tighter.

They wandered for some time thorough large, hallowed chambers and secluded tombs. He knew there were goblins down here, but they were seemingly trying not to be found. Kharn cut his way through a large wooden door that was around two feet thick with a large timber bar keeping it locked. The Mica Dragon teeth of Gorechild tore through the door like a blade through paper. He kicked it open, sending wood dust and splinters flying. He beckoned the others forward with a tilt of his head.

They stepped into a large chamber with columns stretching up high and lining the room. The columns each had lit torches on them, strange for a seemingly abandoned crypt. Stone coffins were arranged in the corners of the chamber.

"A trap." Barial observed. In the centre of the room was a figure suspended by its wrists with rope. It stood with bent knees and its head bowed with blonde hair spilling down, obscuring it's face. It's clothes were baggy and ill fitting. The bio readings in his visor told him he was looking at a corpse, an old one at that.

The bio readings began to multiply, and he grinned. The goblins had come to greet them. From the far end of the burial chamber a large goblin stepped forward into the torch light. It towered over its lesser kin, roughly the size of an Astartes in Terminator armour. It was armoured and carried a large club of solid black iron.

The goblins seemed weary of them, just as the first lot of goblins were. The large goblin huffed and grunted at them as if it were sizing them up. Barial has come to find that like Orks, goblins were hierarchical by nature, with the largest and strongest taking on leadership roles, as well as having the most breeding rights. If this was their leader, then breaking him would make the others much more compliant.

He looked at Kharn and the World Eater knew what was being asked of him. He was all too happy to oblige. He set Gorechild down against one of the pillars, but kept his plasma pistol mag-locked to his thigh. The nails bit, sending jolts of electricity into the aggression centres of his brain. His stride took on one of a stalking predator as he neared the large goblin. He stared up at it as it had half a foot of height on him, but he was undaunted, in fact relishing the chance to fight the creature.

"Only break him, Kharn. He will be valuable." Barial said. Kharn snarled his affirmation, but kept his eyes on the Goblin Champion.

The Champion gave no warning as it swung the club at Kharn. Kharn ducked, his Astartes reflexes far surpassing the Goblin Champion's. He threw a straight punch into the Chapion's gut, knocking it back. It snarled and drooled as it held its stomach, winded.

It blocked a kick with its forearm, the radius and ulna shattering against the ceremite boot. It countered with a swing of its club as it roared to ignore the pain of shattered bone and crushed flesh. Kharn had it glance off of his armoured forearm, its rounded surface serving to deflect the weapon. He threw another punch; a cross to its jaw. Teeth flew from its mouth in a shower of blood, spit, and chips of tooth.

He was about to mount it and deliver a brutal beat down before Barial called to him.

"Kharn, that's enough!" He barked harshly. Kharn was losing himself to the pulses of pleasure delivered by the Butchers Nails through acts of violence. However, he had learned to steel his mind against losing himself, and managed to pull himself free of the Nails, and remove himself from the Goblin Champion's battered body.

Kharn stepper back and walked back to Gorechild, picking it up and resting in over his right shoulder.

"Heed my words, creatures." Barial called, getting the attention of the gathered goblins. "Come! Hear the word of the Powers. I bring you enlightenment. I bring you strength!"

* * *

"Here we are, the Temple of the Supreme God. What do you think?" Female Paladin said with a smile. She and Loken stood before the Temple. The priestesses has already taken the two less fortunate women into the Temple. He looked up at the white stone building. It was impressive he supposed, but he'd seen edifices like the Imperial Palace on Terra. Something like this just doesn't come close.

"It has its own majesty." He said noncommittally. Female Paladin pouted at him, much to his confusion. "What?"

"Hmph. Nothing. Let's go, I'm sure the Arch Bishop would be glad to see you." She said huffily. Loken bristled at the prospect of meeting a religious leader, but if he was glad of anything he inherited from Horus, it was his patience and skills at diplomacy. After all, it was Lunar Wolves doctrine to attempt diplomacy first, then if that failed, initiate their signature spear tip assault strategy.

He followed her inside the Temple, finding it to be well lit and very clean. It was a pleasant change from the dark sanctums, corrugated metal, and luminous globes. There were no Servitors, Mechanicum symbols, or Servo Skulls. Overall, he liked it.

They entered a large chamber at the end of a long corridor, seeing who Loken presumed was the Arch Bishop seeing the priestesses away after finishing an exchange. Female Paladin bowed before her, and she beckoned the Paladin to rise.

"Your holiness, I bring news of a successful quest. Though the task was done, I couldn't have done it without help." She reported. The woman stood by the altar smiled down at the Paladin.

"Please rise. I'm sure your injuries make it hard to bow, so please, sit and relax." She said, her voice was soft and kind. Often the voice of manipulators. Loken was weary of her.

"Is this the one who helped you?" She asked. While blind, she could determine his location by the quiet hum of his power pack's sub atomic fusion reactor.

"That I am. I am Gray Knight. It is fortunate that I have a particular dislike of goblins." He said, opting to use this world's naming conventions.

"He came at a most fortuitous time. Without him, none of us would have come back to the Temple. Shamefully, I too had been captured." Female Paladin admitted.

"You fought when most others would have laid down and died. Do not sell yourself short, Paladin." Loken said sincerely.

"But it was you who annihilated them singlehandedly. I killed some, yes, but their destruction came by your hand." She insisted.

"All I am saying is that you should be proud of what you did in your position. I can't think of many women I've encountered who'd have done what you did." Lotara Sarin came to mind. Before the Heresy, Kharn had joked about Captain Lotara Sarin, Captain of the Gloriana class ship 'The Conqueror', being able to put Angron back in line. He didn't doubt it. She bore the bloody hand upon her uniform, a sign of respect and acceptance amongst the World Eaters. If anyone could have made a Primarch behave, she could. A formidable woman indeed.

"Please, go and get some rest and get your wounds tended to. I wish to speak with sir Gray Knight." The Arch Bishop said. Female Paladin looked from her to Loken, but obeyed. She exited the chamber and then only Loken and the Arch Bishop remained.

"You have a powerful presence. Though blind, I can see the great strength you possess. I am the Sword Maiden, the Arch Bishop of this Temple. You have my gratitude for bringing them back to me." She said warmly.

"I did nothing but my duty." Loken replied.

"Indeed. While I wish to properly reward you, there is a problem I would like you to observe. I have one other I have requested to do this, so if you would, I would like you to wait for them. It is of the utmost importance."

"Goblins?" He aksed. She nodded silently. "Of course. Outside of Demons, the people's main concern is goblins, it seems. Very well, wherever Green-skins may be, my blade will find them."

"I'm glad. Please, make yourself at home in this town. There is a Guild, an inn, and a smithy. I'm sure you will make good use of them."

"No need. I will wait. However, I will go to the Guild to see what work needs doing in the meantime."

The Goblin Champion was exceedingly happy with his find. The little whelps has fished a corpse out of the canal in the sewers. It took him getting involved in the recovery to pull the corpse out, but it was worth it. It was a large, headless corpse clad in armour, with an exotic weapon chained to its back. It was very large axe with teeth that gleamed wickedly. He had taken a particular liking to that.

He loved the sound it made, and with his newfound strength thanks to the strange preacher, he could swing it around like it weighed nothing. The name of Khorne roared in his mind, demanding blood. While he didn't understand what the words meant, what he did know was that Khorne cared not from where the blood flowed.

* * *

 **And that's that chapter done. So what did you think? This is just a bit of set up before we see the GS and the crew. They're gonna need a bit of help against... CHAOS GOBLINS! Remember to review, follow, favourite and all that good stuff. BrutalAftershock out.**


	3. Blood Beneath the Surface: Part 1

The Last Wolf

Chapter 3: Blood Below The Surface: Part 1

Goblin Slayer hadn't been personally requested before. It was strange to have someone of such high status personally call upon him for its services, as he mostly relied on the Guild for his goblin slaying. Still, if someone had directly contacted him for his services, then there was no doubt goblins were involve. After all, who would call for anything but slaying goblins? The details of his contact's request were vague at best, not detailing exactly what needed to be done, where the goblins were, or how the goblins had been attacking. All he had was were to go and who to speak to. Good enough, as long as it led to the goblins.

He and his party had arrived in Water Town not too long after. They'd arrived along the forested road, though Goblin Slayer inspected something the driver thought was odd. However, the driver didn't seem too surprised, and while Goblin Slayer thought nothing of it, Priestess thought the driver's lack of concern over the dried, but strangely lightly coloured pool and drag marks of blood.

"Had a few passengers in here about three days back. Had a huge Knight with them, easily bigger than your Lizardman friend. Thought he was a golem at first." The driver laughed. "He warned me of trouble on the road and had me get the other passengers out of here. Probably his handiwork. At least I hope so."

Goblin Slayer found this curious. "You hope so?"

"Haven't seen him or the lass he was with since. Hope they're alright. Heard the lass mention the Temple of The Supreme God. Paladin if memory serves." The driver replied.

"The Temple is where we're going. Goblin Slayer, you think we'll find them there?" Priestess asked.

"Possibly." He said.

"But bigger than Scaly here? Must strike quite an imposing figure." Dwarf Shaman said in quiet wonder.

"Might not be that big, it's probably just his armour." High Elf Archer said dismissively.

"Still, apparently he's with a Paladin. I've heard a lot about them. They're like Priests, but with a lot more emphasis on heavy armour and hitting things first, saying prayers later." Priestess said with a chuckle.

"I'm curious myself. I wonder what they're doing at the Temple. They must have some business like ours there, especially the Paladin." Lizard Priest said, forming a triangle with his fingers on his chest.

* * *

The third day of waiting had been relatively peaceful for Female Paladin. Her wounds had been healed, she'd bought a new weapon, shield, and set of armour, and said her morning prayers as her duty required. Her peace however, came when she was bathing.

She'd thought about the oddity that was the Gray Knight. He appeared seemingly out of nowhere, a detail she hadn't processed when they first met. He claimed he wasn't from the Guild, displayed open lack of knowledge of even the most known locations in the country and current events, and overall just seemed totally out of place. And that was outside of combat. Inside, he was like nothing she'd ever seen. How can someone be so fast, so strong, and fearless? It was like he was bred for it, like no man should be.

His armour too was something that looked totally foreign. She had travelled all over in her silver ranked career. Having incurred massive damage to most armour sets she possessed, she had seen almost every smithy and armoury the country had to offer, and not one had a set of armour like the Gray Knight's. It was much too thick in some areas, and the pauldrons looked as though they weighed as much as a man on their own. The humming and expulsion of hot air that rippled from the exhausts on his back was also like nothing she'd seen.

She'd have though him some kind of machine had he not split one of his own kind open, revealing the very much living innards of the armour. She wondered just what kind of man was under the metal. Was he even human? What produces a man capable of the things he was? Maybe some of the answer with the other warrior like him that he fought. From what the dead warrior said, there were more just like him, thus like Grey Knight in the country.

She pondered over her impromptu travel companion's possible origins while idly scrubbing her body and washing her long blonde hair. She really was curious about the man under the armour. She hardly noticed the water level rise substantially.

"Your wounds are healed, yes?" Loken asked, startling the Paladin. She gave a loud yelp as she suddenly found herself in the presence of the giant warrior. She scrambled to cover herself, splashing water everywhere in the process. Loken looked her with confusion clear on his craggy face. His face was weathered, rugged, yet held a certain youthfulness. His grey eyes were sharp, yet looked far older than his face. Small scars were dotted about his face like scratches of ink on a canvas. Overall, she was quite approving of his face. Then she remembered the situation she found herself in.

"Hold on you can't just come in here while I'm bathing! It's inappropriate!" She yelled, her tone high with embarrassment. Again, Loken found himself confused.

"I've already seen you bare. Why is it of concern to you now?" He asked. He didn't really understand why she was suddenly so defensive. Communal bathing was a common thing amongst the Solar Auxilia, as well as the Imperial Reserve. It even occurred on a number of vessels within the exploratory fleets, as some had been built with communal shower blocks.

Neither he nor his comrades paid it any mind, so why would she? They were both warriors scrubbing away the rigours and grime of field work. Surely such a thing wasn't much of an issue. To him, bathing with a woman was no different to bathing with one of his fellow Astartes, as they were warriors and soldiers first, and their personal details second. Though he wasn't quite sure if he'd bathed with a woman before.

"Those were under vastly different circumstances!" She argued.

"Is there an issue here I'm not seeing?" Loken questioned earnestly. He really didn't get it.

"Yes! Yes, there's an issue! It's the giant mountain of muscle that's just sat down in the bath. With me in it!" She shouted. "I have my chastity to consider!"

"What?" Just what was her problem? All he did was sit down to bathe. He sighed, going along with whatever mortal sensibilities she felt were being encroached upon. "Very well, I will return when you are done." He then stood just as he had entered, with no hesitation and no sense of modesty. Her face went from a light pink from the heat of the water, to a deep crimson. Whatever had made him so huge had not discriminated on what it had upscaled.

"Oh by the Supreme God, just sit back down will you!" She yelled once more. Her brain was a befuddled mess at the visual barrage Loken had unwittingly provided. The Astartes only grunted, but sat back down, once again making the water rise.

"If you're going to remain," She began quietly, "then please, at least turn around." She implored. She seethed with shame. While such a thing hadn't crossed her mind as her duties distracted her from such things, but she was suddenly quite self conscious about her muscular physique. While she hadn't actively sought such a body, years of conditioning with heavy armour and weapons training had built and toned her muscles.

"Very well." He agreed and turn his back to her. Despite the width of the pool, he still looked as if he took up half of it.

It struck her in that moment. Here was the man beneath the armour. The only thing that made him remotely recognisable was his immense height. Despite the embarrassment, she found her gaze lingering on Loken. Just what the hell was he? He was human, that she knew now, but not. His body was absolutely immense, with muscles on his back that she was sure were larger than her head. His shoulders were like small boulders, with a neck as thick as her thigh.

His skin was a tapestry of scars and muscle connections. Puncture scars and slash scars both lined his back and shoulders. Some were so massive, on a normal man it would look as if he'd been cleaved in half and survived by some miracle. However some scars looked too precise, especially on his skull, slightly concealed by his short, neat crop of pale blonde hair. Strange black studs with indentations in their centres were placed at different points on his back, arms, and legs.

"You are alarmed at being bare in my presence, yet you stare at me." Loken said suddenly, startling her. She really should have expected him to have exceptionally keen senses as well.

"I apologise, but you are like no one I've seen before. Just what are you?" She said, suddenly admonishing herself for asking so bluntly. Loken didn't answer immediately, seemingly inwardly discussing what he would tell her.

"I am a warrior, chosen of the finest, and most enduring of my people. I went through brutal trials, and gruelling mental conditioning, just to become worthy of taking on the the next stage." He said. Paladin could believe such a thing. In her short time with the Astartes, she could feel him projecting an aura of strength. His presence was something totally other, like he was above and beyond what a human being could become naturally. Were all of his kind like this?

"And what was that?" She asked softly, both fascinated, but with the sense something uncomfortable was coming.

"I was made what I am by the designs and procedures engineered by The Emperor. My surgical scars are a testament to my willpower and endurance. I wear them proudly."

"The Emperor?" She hadn't heard of any emperors in the region. No news from beyond the borders said anything of any empires either. The surrounding nations were either kingdoms or vassal states. Could he be from across the sea? Nothing was known of the land across the water, so she deemed it plausible.

"That's enough. I will divulge more later. I know nothing of you, Paladin." Loken said. Female Paladin was slightly taken aback. He wanted to know about her? She didn't want to put herself down, but he seemed so much more interesting than herself in their conversation.

"You wish to know about me?" She questioned tentatively. Loken nodded, his back still to her.

"Well, I suppose I could start with some basics. I grew up as a-" She cut her words short as the Sword Maiden entered the room, a benign smile on her face. Paladin forced the disappointment off of her face and squashed any excitement she felt at sharing some of her history with Loken.

"My, so close. I wouldn't have thought you'd so readily share a bath with him." She said, chuckling behind her hand. Paladin's eyes shot wide at the implication.

"W-What! No, that's not it at all!" She yelled in mild panic. Loken looked between the two and stood, inadvertently stoking the flames of Paladin's embarrassment.

"I assume your contact has arrived." He stated.

"Yes. He and his party await before the altar. If you please, hurry and don your armour. We must discuss the quest to come." The blind woman said before elegantly turning and leaving the room.

"U-um, you first, Grey Knight. I'll be out in a minute." Paladin said.

"As you wish. You will have to explain to me your aversion to my company when bathing. I've not seen a reaction such as yours." He said. With thudding footsteps, he left the room to dry off and don his armour. After several moments alone, Paladin took a deep breath with a hand to her ample chest. For all her experience in the field, the terrors she'd faced, one thing still remained new and challenging to her. Men.

"Stupid Grey Knight. Stupid, stupid." She mumbled childishly.

* * *

Fully geared up and ready to get back into the fray, Loken and Paladin met with Sword Maiden and the party of adventurers she'd called for. There were five in all. A bearded Squat, it wouldn't be a Squat without the beard. An Eldar, which had Loken ready to strike, but open to seeing if she could be cooperative. A large scaly green thing like a bipedal Crotalid. A small blonde girl in a white Priestess uniform, and a man covered head to toe in armour, a faceless warrior as Loken himself appeared.

The party was sat down on the floor, while the Sword Maiden was knelt down, enveloped in her flowing white gown. Paladin had sat as well, her heavy plate armour and chain mail clunking and clinking on the stone floor. Loken stood, ready to move once the meeting was over.

Goblin Slayer had the bluntness of an Astartes to Loken's quiet amusement. He didn't bother himself with menial details, only focusing on the objective. When the other members chastised his tactless inquiries of the nature of the girls murdered in the streets, Loken decided he and Goblin Slayer had some common ground. Like himself, he had the impression that as his name implied, Goblin Slayer's was a sole dedication to a single cause.

"There's no mistaking it, that cart driver wasn't lying when he said that warrior was massive. He really is bigger than you, eh, Scaly?" Dwarf Shaman chuckled. Lizard Priest nodded and formed his finger triangle.

"Indeed. It is an honour to meet you. The man who brought us to Water Town told us of you." He said respectfully. Loken told them his moniker, Grey Knight, and the others introduced themselves, except Goblin Slayer.

"Come on, Goblin Slayer. You have to tell them your name." Priestess chided.

"Oh. I do? Alright. I'm Goblin Slayer." He said curtly. Not too talkative. That suited Loken just fine. As long as he communicated during their mission, there wouldn't be a problem.

They left the Temple with Sword Maiden wishing them good luck. Goblin Slayer told the group he had some preparations to make and that he'd meet the others at the Water Town Guild.

Upon entering the Guild, a hive of activity for adventurers, all business ceased once Loken stepped into view. Once again being an Astartes drew undue attention, though now Loken knew that no one besides Paladin knew he was an Astartes. Though he did wonder why they still did this, after all he'd been there twice before.

"Oh, hey! Grey Knight! Over here!" Loken looked to the source of the voice and saw the Bargirl he saved from the Goblins standing by one of the tables having just placed some drinks down. She looked markedly different from when he last saw her. Her black hair was in two long plaits that ran down the front of her uniform. Her uniform was a little on the revealing side, with a short skirt and stockings, small apron around her waist, and a white blouse that showed a decent amount of cleavage. She ran up to him, blue eyes wide with happiness.

"I was wondering where you got to. Where have you been?" She asked excitedly.

"The Temple. I've been here a couple of times to take on some work. Haven't seen you though." Loken replied, some of the bustle of the Guild returning. Her face fell, though it lasted only a second.

"Aww, that's too bad. Oh well, it was probably when I was with my family, so it's okay." She said cheerily. "So what'cha up to?"

"About to go on a quest. We're waiting for one of our members." Loken informed. "You look well."

"Yup, all good. Got a good yelling at when I got home though." She said with a smirk. "Why don't you take a seat and I'll bring you all some drinks. On the house."

The group sat down, though Loken was quite unsure of the wooden benches ability to support his weight. Mortal crafts were not suited to Astartes after all. He knelt at the head of the table and waited for Bargirl to return.

Loken watched quietly as the others spoke amongst themselves. The surrounding people, as well as the ones he found himself with were strange. Races of all kinds were banded together, cooperating with what seemed to be genuine camaraderie. No one was held at knife point, no one seemed forced to work together. Such a thing amongst such divergent races was inconceivable in the wider galaxy.

He though that perhaps had the Great Crusade been different, had these races inhabited known space, maybe the Imperium would have more allies. A warrior of the Emperor he may be, but at the end of the Heresy, his appetite for war had been severely dampened. He performed his duty given by Malcador, but longed to stay away from the front lines of war for quite some time. He remembered the tranquility provided to him when he tended to a garden in the Somnus Citadel, in the disused living quarters of a dead Sister of Silence.

He missed the garden, having learned its intricacies, and so far as to say its likes and dislikes. He would tend a garden here should the chance arrive.

This reminded him of that measure peace he gained. He had seldom seen times of peace, and only then he had been surrounded by his fellow Astartes. This was something new. And he felt it was something he could come to enjoy with time.

Bargirl came back with a round tray of drinks and placed them down, telling Loken she wished she could stay and talk, but her shift was busy. Though she did say her employer knew what he had done, and the Paladin he was with had helped.

"Ah, good. I was wondering when I'd get to drink. It's not good to go on a quest on an empty liver." Dwarf said with a laugh.

"Speak for yourself, Dwarf. Anyone else did that they'd be done for." Elf replied.

"Heh, that's why it pays to be a Dwarf." He grinned widely. Lizard Shaman was busy asking another bar maid about their selection of cheese during this exchange.

"So you're a Paladin, right. I've heard so much about your order." Priestess said excitedly to Paladin. The older woman looked at Priestess and smiled.

"Yes, I'm a Paladin. I seek out evil and injustice where ever it may be to destroy it, and spread the word of the Supreme God to those who will listen." She said.

"That's so cool." Priestess gushed, her eyes full of admiration. "Your armour looks so expensive. Isn't it really heavy?"

"Not as heavy as it looks. Believe it or not, I can still cartwheel in it." She said with a small laugh.

"What, really?" Priestess wondered.

"Good armour should never weigh its wearer down too much. A suit of armour has its weight distributed across the body, with most of it being on the hips. There's still no doubt you need to be strong to wear one effectively though." Paladin informed.

"Then how strong is that guy?" High Elf said pointing at Loken. "That armour looks way, way too big."

"I think he'll surprise you." Paladin said with a smirk. Though her cheeks reddened when she remembered that she had been the sole witness of the muscles that fuelled that strength. She knew she hadn't known Loken long at all, four days really. But seeing him without his armour was a massive shock to her admittedly rather innocent system. He didn't stir feelings in her besides admiration and respect, but the sight of his transhuman body was one that was firmly locked within her memory.

Over half an hour passed and High Elf was getting rather impatient. The drink and good company was all well and fine, but they still had a mission to get started and Goblin Slayer was nowhere to be seen. The door to the Guild opened in stepped Goblin Slayer.

"I'm ready. Let's go."

* * *

"I sense the taint of Chaos here. Below the surface. Your order?"

"We go down there, but I will be relying on you. I'm no Psyker, so I will leave the purely Daemonic elements to you. I however, will hunt whatever traitor's lurk down there."

"Are you also getting the signal?"

"Yes. It's him. We will need to make haste unless we want to lose him again."

"Indeed. I scouted an entrance in a cave system about a mile out of town. I've been through it and it does lead to a network of catacombs under the Temple, and into the sewer system."

"Can we not contact him from here?"

"No. Vox channels are in a state of flux. Something I can't determine is interfering."

"Damn. We'll have to find him ourselves then. Can we pinpoint his signal?"

"Same interference. It's like something is trying to stop us. His armour is like ours, so psychic contact won't work. Doesn't help he's not a Psyker either."

"Let's get moving then. We've not much time."

* * *

The state the sewers were in was disturbing to say the least. Twenty minutes of walking had greeted them with the stinking, fly infested, flayed remains of people who had vanished. Symbols painted in blood; the eight-pointed star, and the Skull Rune of Khorne decorated the walls. Loken knew these symbols all too well.

"You think that they could have rigged this place somehow?" High Elf said to Goblin Slayer.

"Traps are still a possibility." He replied.

"No." Loken said, drawing the group's attention. "Whatever is here, be it goblins or humans, follows the will of Khorne. Deception is frowned upon as honourless. Whatever is here will face us with its full might, no deception needed."

"Goblins are cowardly creatures. That's unlikely." Goblin Slayer said.

"Not under the sway of Khorne. His blessings make a mad warrior of the meekest of his followers." Loken replied grimly. He turned and looked at High Elf. "Eldar, you're a scout are you not?"

"I suppose, but… what's an Eldar?" She questioned looking confused. Loken hadn't anticipated that. It seemed she didn't identify with the term, only responding to High Elf, or Long-Ears. Thinking quickly, he thought of something.

"It is a term used for referring to High Elves amongst my people." Loken lied. Though it was still accurate to a degree. She and the Eldar looked not too dissimilar, aside from being much shorter than an average, lithe Eldar. "Could you scout ahead?" He requested, not ordering as to test the waters.

"I can do that. But I don't think it's a good idea going alone." She said. So she was compliant, very good.

"I shall go with her, sir Gray Knight. If we need assistance, I can use one of my spells to call upon aid." Lizard Priest said. Loken nodded, though still not really sure of the Lizardman.

"Good. Report your findings. Rendezvous in five minutes." He said, setting a timer on his chronometer by thought.

"For now, we should keep an eye out for goblins. Watch the water." Goblin Slayer said. Said water was a dark, murky red, with many bodies floating in it. It was all fresh relatively speaking, as the floating bodies had barely bloated. In the work Loken had been looking for, a lot of the request postings were in regards to a large amount of people suddenly going missing. It would seem this was their ultimate fate.

"I've seen the sites of many evil deeds, but this is something else. Just what is this?" Paladin asked, her stoic face of professionalism slipping for just a moment.

"Khorne cares not from where the blood flows. These are blood sacrifices to the Blood God." Loken explained.

"Hey, you alright?" Goblin Slayer asked Priestess, the young girl looking rather pale and disturbed.

"Can we move on from here please?" She begged in a hushed voice. Loken turned to her.

"It will only get worse the deeper we go. Are you sure you're up to this task?" Loken asked, his voice as soft as the harsh vox-growl would allow. Priestess looked up at him, seemingly conflicted. A moment passed and her face slowly morphed from frightened to determined.

"I-I can do this. Don't worry." She said, forcing stability into her voice. Loken nodded and addressed the party.

"Blood sacrifices are used by Khorne's followers as a means of summoning, so with this many bodies, it is very likely that there are more than just goblins in here." Loken announced. The reactions were varied, but as ever, Goblin Slayer seemed not to care about that.

"What do you mean? What could they have summoned?" Paladin inquired, though she had a feeling she knew the answer.

"Daemons. Bloodletters and Flesh Hounds most likely. There aren't enough bodies for anything larger." Loken said. Paladin had suspected Demons, but she would come to find that they weren't going to be what she expected.

Suddenly, High Elf and Lizard Priest came dashing around the corner, panic on their faces

"There's something in there that's definitely not a goblin in there!" High Elf spoke quickly between pants.

"What did it look like?" Loken questioned. He took his sword from his hip and activated it, its white corona casting light onto the dark tunnel wall to his right.

"Really big, really red, and really, really angry." She relayed.

"This place is tainted with heresies. We must destroy these creatures." Lizard Priest declared.

"I will lead, whatever Daemons you see leave them to me, the goblins are your priority." Loken ordered.

They rushed around to where the Daemon has been encountered, directed by High Elf Archer and Lizard Priest. There they found a Lizardman skeleton doing battle with the red creature. The two dueled on a bridge crossing the parallel walkways either side of the crimson river. It too was strewn with blood and innards, while severed limbs and corpses hung by chains off of the bridges sides. The Daemon toyed with its opponent, playing with it like it was some novelty item.

"A Bloodletter, stay away from it!" Loken commanded.

The creature, though stooped, stood as tall as Loken, though it's black horns augmented it's already inhuman size. Hide, scaled and red as hot blood barely covered taut muscles and thick, powerful sinews. The Hell Blade in its deadly clawed hands was a jagged thing wrought from the black iron of Khorne. Its eyes were burning coals in their sockets, gazing hatefully at all before it.

It lashed its long jet black tongue mockingly as it cut the animated skeleton down, scattering shattered bone across the bridge and into the bloody water below. Then its burning gaze landed on the party. It drew no blood from its skeletal opponent, but fresh blood had arrived, ready to be spilled and stoke its insatiable thirst.

Instinctively the others backed away, even the ever stoic Goblin Slayer. He himself was, after all, only human. Loken took to the fore with combative readiness in his steps as he brandished his power sword. He would need to get the Daemon off of the bridge so the others could cross, but fighting Daemons seldom afforded a warrior any other option than to just try and end it quickly.

The Hell Blade, midnight black and edged with burning embers met Loken's blade with a mighty crack as the power field and warp energy clashed as the two began their battle. The bridge was too narrow for both an Astartes and a Daemon to fight on effectively so each meeting of blades was a battle to force the other off of the bridge to the water below.

High Elf attempted to aid Loken and fired arrows with immense precision at the Daemon, though the arrows barely penetrates the scaly hide, and those that did scrapped the Daemons flesh and flew wide.

"Dammit, it's hide's too tough, can't get any arrows to connect!" High Elf growled. The Daemon rounded on the rest of the party as it forced Loken away, swinging its blade wide which forced Loken to back off from the attack. It leapt forward above the party and swung down, eager to spill their blood for Khorne. Goblin Slayer stood with sword drawn, but he was at a loss. It wasn't a goblin, so he had idea how to even go about just engaging the thing.

"Protection!" Priestess yelled as she thrust her staff forward. A bright light followed by the emergence of a translucent, pale gold wall of divine power blocked the Daemon's strike, though the entire wall cracked under the force of the blow. Priestess winced with the strain as she tried to maintain the barrier while the Bloodletter hissed with annoyance.

It turned with lighting speed to block the incoming downward strike from Loken, the two blade clashing and sparking against each other once more. Paladin dove through the barrier, fighting off whatever terror she felt just looking at the Daemon and swung her blessed weapon, a large, heavy flanged mace, and struck its digitigrade knee.

The scale then the flesh of the Daemon boiled under the initial impact of the blow. It fell to its wounded knee and bellowed out an enraged challenge at the two. It swung its head and tried to gore Paladin with its black horns. She raised her large shield, also blessed and staggered when the heavy impact struck the shield.

"It is weak to your blessings, Paladin! Hit it again, I'll create an opening!" Loken yelled, crossing blades with the Bloodletter again. He was inexperienced in fighting Daemons, having nowhere near as much contact with them as his fellow Grey Knights. He had fought and killed them before, but he wasn't quite adept at doing it.

"Stone Blast!" Dwarf Shaman yelled as stones formed from rock dust and rocketed towards the Daemon, shattering against it, but throwing the dust in its eyes. "Paladin, go!"

"Right!" She replied, rushing forward and landing another heavy blow against the Daemon's face, once more burning its skin and shattering the bones in the right side of its face, rendered weak under the blessings the weapon was imbued with. It thrashed about wildly with blind rage. It's free arm lashed out, slamming into Paladin's shield powerfully enough the send her sprawling onto her back.

Loken exploited the opening and set upon the downed Daemon. He thrust his power sword in between its ribs and twisted, parting and breaking multiple ribs with a sickening crunch while Warp energy burst from the wounds punched on entry and exit of the blade through its rib cage.

Withdrawing the blade, he twisted his grip and swung down, splitting the Bloodletter in half. Almost immediately it dissipated in a blaze of Warp energy painting the walls and bridge in its malevolent purple, pink, and red glow.

Priestess let her barrier go and let out a breath she didn't realise she was holding. Paladin stood with a groan and inspected her shield. A deep gouge from one of its horns and a forearm sized dent marred the front of it. She angrily muttered something about just buying it.

"That was just one. Where I am from, there are innumerable legions of them. We must proceed with extreme caution from here onward when we encounter more." Loken said, the hard edge of an Astartes on the field of battle in his voice. That hadn't been there for some time.

"When?" Paladin parroted incredulously.

"There is never just one." Loken replied.

'Just like goblins.' Goblin Slayer thought.

"We're not out of the thick of it yet, I hear something on the water." High Elf said as she readied an arrow. Loken's auto-senses caught it and looked into the darkness. Multiple biological signatures on the water. He changed the vision mode and saw the green outline of a wooden craft on the water decorated with gore and hastily made Chaotic symbols.

"Goblins on the water, 15 in total. They're tainted by Chaos." Loken said. He looked down at his belt, seeing a set of three Krak Grenades. He smirked under his helmet. "However, they won't be a problem. Priestess, ready your barrier when I say."

"You have a plan?" Goblin Slayer asked.

"Yes." Loken replied, showing him the dull grey metal casing of the Krak Grenade. "This will sink them without a problem." He pulled the pin and lobbed it at them, smacking the goblin ship captain in the face, fracturing its skull. "Barrier! Now!" Loken commanded.

"Protection!" The word given power by the divine sparked to life as a wall of light expanded and guarded the bridge from the explosion to come.

"Cover your ears and open your mouths!" Goblin Slayer yelled suddenly, and the others save Loken did as he instructed. The resultant blast of force followed by an ungodly fire storm of blazing flame and smoke erupted in the tunnel, destroying the walkways in its immediate radius. The bodies of the goblins were reduced to ashes, with the odd piece surviving a charred, blackened hunk of meat.

Massive chunks of rock and cement fell from the tunnel ceiling and rained down into the water, sending waves that only got larger as more and more fell. For a moment, the party thought the entire structure would collapse.

Priestess once again struggled to hold the barrier as it only just held against the blast wave, then the tsunami of blood came crashing against the wall of light. She felt a hand on her shoulder and shifted her head slightly to see who was there. Paladin was stood there gazing fiercely at the forces of nature assaulting the barrier.

"Hold fast. It will be over soon." She said encouragingly. Priestess nodded and focused on the barrier with her determination slightly renewed. The explosion an ensuing tidal wave dissipated as quickly as they came, and the tunnel was calm and quiet once more. The barrier lowered and Priestess slumped out of exhaustion. Paladin caught her and gave her a smile.

"You did well. Rest now." She said warmly.

"Indeed. That ability of yours has proven invaluable. I am impressed." Loken said.

"We should return to the surface for now." Dwarf Shaman advised. "I think we're going to be relying on her barrier a lot further on. We should let her rest and recover her strength."

"I agree. I don't think any of us were prepared for what we found here. Time to process this would be advisable." Lizard Priest said concurrently.

"N-no, I'm fine. I can carry on." Priestess protested weakly.

"No." Goblin Slayer said. "We're going back." He left no room for discussion. When he threw his voice in, Priestess could only go along with it. Loken observes this and realised that the young girl's respect for Goblin Slayer must have been quite considerable.

As they filed off of the bridge back the way they came, Loken's auto-senses warned him of something below beneath the water. Moved to the edge of the bridge and looked down, seeing an incredibly large black mass moving below the surface. He could almost feel the sheer amount of corruption emanating from it, but it seemed to ignore Loken's presence, passing under the bridge and into the darkness harmlessly.

"Grey Knight? You coming?" Paladin asked having come back for him. He stared after the creature for a moment before looking at Paladin.

"Yes. Let's move."

* * *

"His signal is reversing. He's going back up to the surface. Shall we do the same?"

"For now. We know where he is, and we know he has something to accomplish here. Keep tracking him."

"As you wish. And what shall we do when we find him?"

"We shall do as comrades do. We will rejoin him. Just as we did."

"Two centuries flies by doesn't it, Garro."

"Indeed it does, Rubio. Indeed it does."

* * *

 **Banged out another in just a couple days, I'm impressing myself. I'm going to address a couple of reviews talking about the scale of the threat and Loken's ability to combat it. Well, I never intended for Loken to absolutely stomp everything. I know that tends to happen in stories when a Space Marine gets involved, but that would be boring. But I wasn't going to have him do it alone, so here are Nathaniel Garro and Tylos Rubio to lend a hand in the future. Look forward to seeing them, I have something I think is pretty interesting planned. Also, it may seem I've made Goblin Slayer seem a little redundant, but don't worry, he'll have his part to play. Everyone in the party will.**

 **I** **particularly enjoyed writing the part in the bath. I genuinely think an Asartes would be very confused about things such as bathing propriety with the opposite sex, seeing as their sexual maturity pretty much stopped at 10 years old, and they've never needed to learn about such things. I know False Asartes are different since they were made basically diet Space Marines as adults, but it was still fun to write.**

 **So as always, review, follow, favourite and all that good stuff. Until Next time. BrutalAftershock out.**


	4. Blood Beneath The Surface: Part 2

The Last Wolf

Blood Beneath The Surface: Part 2

The first expedition into the depths below Water Town was neither a victory nor a loss. It was a test of the waters, though the test itself was as unexpected as the results of it. While no goblins had been found roaming the tunnels, the troubling discovery that they had taken to the water on craft was one that played on Goblin Slayer's mind.

He had repeated himself time and again to Priestess, a would-be student of Goblin Slayer's killing arts, that goblins were not foolish creatures, as stupid and cowardly as they were. No, while not intelligent, they had an uncanny ability to learn at an incredible rate, picking up on things they'd never encountered before, and using it or adapting it as if they'd known it all their lives after only a few attempts.

So based on what he saw, and knowing that goblins can't or won't teach themselves, that meant that someone had taught them to build and operate boats. The question was who. However, this was one of many questions Goblin Slayer had about this particular quest. There were several things Sword Maiden had said that the goblins had done that weren't natural in their behaviour.

Goblins didn't simply murder, disfigure, and eat their victims. Especially women, the exact target of the attack that had prompted Sword Maiden's request. That young woman from the Temple had been murdered, split open and left in the streets. Goblins didn't do that. Especially on their own in a human settlement. They capture women first and foremost, and would only actively seek them in numbers, particularly during raids.

There was also the fact that the entrances to the sewers weren't in any way guarded, there were no rat slaying quests, and there were no rats in the sewers. It all looked like the Goblins were being allowed to stay in the sewers. However, that's where the familiar territory Goblin Slayer knew came to an end. He had no idea what that red thing Grey Knight killed was, or why goblins had been decorating the sewers with body parts and blood. How they'd acquired so many bodies was odd too.

He sat on the bed in the inn they'd gone to for the night. Priestess shared a room with Paladin, and was out like a light. He looked at the caged canary on the chest of drawers by the bed. If Grey Knight was correct, he wouldn't need the little bird anymore. But he didn't want to just get rid of it. It had one of the qualities he liked in company. It didn't talk much. Sparing the canary a kind thought, he left his room to go for a walk. He couldn't sleep, the feelings that red thing inspired troubled his mind.

He later found Grey Knight stood by the Temple threshold, stood still like a decorative suit of exotic armour.

"Goblin Slayer."

"Grey Knight."

"Trouble sleeping?" Loken's chronometer read it was the early ours not far past midnight. They'd set off early that morning, so by all means Goblin Slayer should have been exhausted.

"Yes." He replied, sounding more tired than he first realised.

"The effect of seeing that Daemon no doubt. They have ways of disturbing a mortal mind with just a glance." Loken said.

"My thoughts have been… scattered, since I saw it." Goblin Slayer admitted.

"You're lucky it only did that. I have seen mortals driven to madness at first sight of a Daemon. You must steel yourself for future encounters." Loken advised.

"I see." Goblin Slayer replied. The two fell silent for some time. It was though the two fell into a sort of rhythm. They watched and listened closely to their surroundings, looking for both the same yet different things.

"Your team has impressed me, you know." Loken said breaking the silence.

"I see." Goblin Slayer said.

"They're strategically diverse. The Eldar's hearing is something that I'm sure you've relied upon before. What with the traps and surprise attacks from goblins."

Goblin Slayer nodded. "Her tracking skills have also been very useful." The term 'Eldar' confused him for a moment before remembering that Loken said it was his people's term for High Elves. Loken would have never thought he would be complimenting an Eldar, but something about here was just extremely unlike the Eldar he'd come to know. She walked with her head held high, and had an arrogant air about her, but she was far, far from being anywhere near the pomp of Craftworlders. She seemed far more human, and it was somewhat refreshing. If she and her kind were an ally to mankind, then by extension they were his ally.

"The Paladin did a good job in there. She seemed able to get past whatever that thing was doing to the rest of us. Any idea why?" Goblin Slayer asked.

"Whatever fervour is within her might have helped. But she may be a simply brave soul. Courage and the will to live, you needn't be an Astartes to possess those traits." Loken said. "I'd imagine the people you find captured by goblins think the same of you. How can you face them? How can you fight off the terror? It is simple. You supplement fear for hatred. And it drives you to fight on."

"Interesting." Goblin Slayer said quietly. It was true. What Loken said struck something within Goblin Slayer, something central to who he was. He had indeed supplemented his fear with hatred. He hated the goblins. Loathed then. Despised them. He wouldn't rest or let himself die until every last one lay dead by his blade, club, or simple slung stone, whatever came to hand.

For some time the two had returned to silence. The night air was a cool breeze, the first precursor to autumn as the long summer months drew to a slow, dwindling close. There were seldom times that Loken had been able to look upon a biome untouched by the flames of war. Tall, complete buildings, lush canopies of trees, streams of drinkable water, a clear night sky under two moons of red and green. All things he had not seen in centuries, if ever if memory failed him. The sight brought peace to Loken. Just as the small garden in the Somnus citadel upon the surface of Luna once did. He decided there and then, should he be bound here for the rest of his years, he would protect it. He had seen enough dead worlds for a lifetime.

Though this world wasn't under the Emperor's rule, he saw defending its people, both human and the allies of humanity as loyally serving the Master of Mankind.

The encroaching, insidious poison of the Ruinous Powers had seeded beneath Water Town, and he would see it rooted out and destroyed. He swore to himself he would make every effort to ensure no one else would suffer under Chaos.

"There will be more of those red creatures, won't there?" Goblin Slayer questioned.

"It is almost certain." Loken responded. Conversation between the two was decidedly stiff. Both were men of few words with no desire to waste time on superfluous details and idle chatter. Blunt and to the point, much to the chagrin of those they travelled with. Humanity was something distorted within them both, one by design, other by circumstance. However both were self imposed. Some would say it took monsters to slay monsters, and both looked as monsters to their respective quarry.

"I'll be ready for them. They won't surprise me a second time." Goblin Slayer stated, a subtle growl in his voice. He hadn't liked being unexpectedly greeted by the bellicose crimson Daemon. His mind had been assaulted just by the sight of it. He had to prepare for that the next time.

"That is good to hear. It isn't often I hear a mortal ready to face down Daemons a second time." Loken commented approvingly.

"They're in line with goblins. That won't stop me killing them." Goblin Slayer replied.

"I noticed you came to a stand still when we faced the Daemon. Why?" Loken questioned after a long moment of silence.

"I don't know how to fight them. I know goblins, not… whatever that was." The mortal said. Loken though for a while. Was he so single minded that his title was quite literal? The epithet ascribed to him could be a name given for the sole slaying of goblins. He hunted one thing and one thing alone. But to be brought to a stand still simply by lack of knowledge of an opponent? That is how you die.

"You will die if you do that again, Goblin Slayer. You are a man. You know men. If you know a man, you can kill him. You needn't know his name nor his creed but he shares the same limitations you do. Your name isn't Man Slayer, but surely you can kill another human being." Loken said with a scolding tone.

"I've only ever killed goblins. Never another human." Goblin Slayer replied.

"Perhaps that is for the best. However, should we see another Daemon, fight as if it were a goblin. Trust in your allies and yourself. It has two arms, two legs and can swing a blade. The only difference is proficiency." Loken said.

"Right. I'll think about that."

* * *

The second day came, and with it another plunge into the depths. The stark contrast of warm sunlight, the chirping of birds, and the iron-stinking darkness below the Town was felt by all. Loken was well acquainted with the feeling of wrongness there, while the others shuddered with the unnatural chill, both of a physical and spiritual nature.

Priestess seemed reluctant to cross the threshold of the iron gate into the darkness, but with a little prompting from Paladin, who offered her reassurance, she took a breath and walked in lockstep with the holy warrior. The two seemed to be getting rather close. The bonds of faith and a mutual objective had seen them to a fast friendship.

Loken and Goblin Slayer marched on at the head of the group with the latter illuminating the path with a lantern at his hip, while the former had no need for such a thing.

Dwarf, High Elf, and Lizard Priest formed a tight triangle at the back of the group so as High Elf's keen ears would serve as an early warning against rear-striking ambushes. Weapons were already drawn as the expectation of Daemons was one that gnawed at the nerves of non-Astartes.

"Right, so… different route?" High Elf asked, her eyes scanning ahead while her ears eagerly listened for anything behind them, twitching as they did so.

"No. We were getting close the the heart of this place. Khornate decoration gets more gruesome the closer you get the the core of their worship site." Loken informed.

The air in the sewers was unnaturally still, even as far as windless places go. There was no humming of drafting breezes coming from openings in obscure places within the subterranean labyrinth. Only silence. Not even the water stirred. They reached the bridge that they had fought the Daemon on. The feeling that it would be there once more passes through the party, with a brief expectation emerging within Loken's mind.

They passed over it with cautious yet martial steps. Once more Loken scanned the water for the beast he saw the day before. It was an unknown factor. It would undoubtedly be hostile, but it was a matter of where it would emerge and what form it took.

"You looked at the water here yesterday. Is there something in there?" Paladin asked as she noticed Loken sweeping his gaze over the surface of the murky water. The blood had been cleansed from the water as the natural ebb and flow of it had naturally washed the crimson ichor away.

"Something large. It was tainted, but seemed to be waiting. I am expecting it to show itself soon. Be on guard and watch the water." Loken warned. They moved on, tender than before as they were weary for the water just next to their feet. This was no place for the faint of heart or the easily distracted.

Once more the gruesome displays of wanton bloodshed showed themselves. Chains ending in crude hooks hung above with the remains of missing people. Bisected bodies hung, their upper halves on display as rotting innards dangled and dripped their biles and fluids onto the stone walkways below. Severed limbs of pale skin, stricken stiff with rigor mortis, were impaled on the hooks at their bloody, ragged stumps.

Footprints crisscrossed in nonsensical patterns on the stone as innumerable feet had made their mark with the blood of those captured. Intermingled with bloody drag marks, they left a trail for the party to follow. Loken looked to the others. Disturbed was the wrong word.

"Calm yourselves. Think of what they've done. They must pay for this." Loken hissed. He would not have them turn back this time. Not here. Not when their goal was so close.

"We've seen nothing like this. Please, a moment." Dwarf Shaman implored, though not for his own good. A Dwarven heart was as steadfast and unerring as the stone they made their homes of. He was shaken, but not undeterred.

Fury burned quietly within the Lizard Priest's reptilian eyes. Before him was a desecration of life that had been committed brazenly and with no regard for anything but the sake of it. For the sake of spilling blood. This heresy, this abominable snuffing of life would not stand. He was eager to unleash his righteous wrath upon those responsible. He was quiet, but the looks in his eyes told Loken of his readiness, and so went unquestioned.

Priestess was pale, clutching her staff to her chest tightly. Her breath was rapid and her eyes were wide and wild. It was uncertain if she was going to turn and run screaming into the inky void, or simply cry. Gore like this was unlike anything she'd seen. Those with heads looked at her with dead, glassy eyes and screamed silent screams with mouths open. She felt like they were closing in on her, as if those severed limbs would leap from their hooks and grab her, crawl at her with stiff, necrotic fingers.

"We need to move. We need to go anywhere just as long as it's not here." High Elf said, her own pale skin ashen with revulsion. She'd thought she had seen what the goblins were capable of in the underground nest on her first extermination with Goblin Slayer. This was something else. She wanted to gag and spill her breakfast on the ground, but she willed herself not to. She forced strength into herself. Her gaze turned to Paladin, her face obscured by her helm. Her grip on her mace tightened, the faint crackle of leather gripping leather sounded.

The Paladin felt much the same as Lizard Priest. Evil festered in these halls and it was her very purpose, her reason for existence that she purge it. Her jaw set and she ground her teeth lightly. Her eyes watched as an eagle watches prey as she tracked the unnaturally dark shadows around them undulate and writhe. This was no trick of the light. The hairs on the back of her neck prickled. The honed battle sense she'd acquired from over a decade as an adventurer warned her of some unseen danger that she couldn't identify.

Goblin Slayer placed a hand on Priestess' shoulder. She jolted and snapped her view to him. She shivered under his hand as terror coursed through her.

"You'll be fine. You're not alone here." He said as reassuringly as he could. He was as calm as ever, undaunted by what they were seeing. How he was so composed was something that escaped Priestess. She nodded shakily. Though when Goblin Slayer moved, there was a hint of hesitation in his steps.

"We mustn't stay here, we have lingered long enough." Paladin said. Loken nodded and strode further in to the blood soaked tunnel. He felt it too; the prickling sensation as danger loomed unseen.

"Form a tight formation, cover each other's shoulders. I will take point and lead ahead of the formation." Loken instructed. The party formed a defensive circle with one person covering another. As they pressed on, the darkness around them seemed to only grow thicker.

* * *

"Hurry, Rubio! It won't be long now!" Garro called as he raised Libertas, the vaunted power sword fell and split a foul Green-skin in half. A score of the creatures surged from the tunnel network, meeting the two storms of blades and psychic lightning. Limbs were sliced, heads sent rolling, bones sundered, while eldritch power coursed from Tylos Rubio's gauntleted fingers. Bodies of the Green-skins exploded and melted under Rubio's power as lightning arced about the tunnel.

"How far now?" Garro asked as he cut down four more of the foul creatures, his silver battle plate splashed with blood.

"We have another mile of tunnel to cover. Should this resistance persist, we won't be long." Tylos replied, firing his Bolter at a trio of goblins running in single file down the killing alley that the tunnel had become. The mass reactive shell carved through them before burrowing into and exploding inside a fourth.

"Spare them your rounds, Rubio. Save them for bigger targets." Garro said as he crushed a Green-skin under the boot of his augmetic leg. "This blasted horde! Is there no end to them?" He growled, skewering another on Libertas' shimmering blade.

"Giving you trouble?" Rubio jabbed, once more sending a wave of lightning down the tunnel, scorching the Green-skins, reducing them to charred and blackened husks that broke at the nearby footfalls of the two Astartes.

In the years following the Horus Heresy, the two along with Garviel Loken had been dispatched to a nameless world on the galactic border. However, the Warp had other plans for them, as they were slung off to a distant world, their craft crashing into the planet and assailed by a small traitor Astartes war band and their mortal followers. They had been separated, with Loken seemingly going missing in action. It took a long time, but Garro was reunited with Rubio when opposing sides pitted them against each other, with neither knowing about their opposition. Both ended up begrudgingly aiding warring kings in search of information on their missing comrades.

In that time, Garro and Rubio had developed a dynamic akin to friendship, whereas the latter had been formerly deeply embittered towards Garro as he had been taken away from his Ultramarine brothers after the former Death Guard had found him on the embattled Ultramarine planet of Calth to recruit him. Tylos had liked to jab at Garro's age from time to time.

"Only as much as they're slowing me down. I'll let you be the judge of that." Garro snarked, a subtle tone of jest in his voice.

"Hmm, fair enough. Far be it from a bunch of Gretchins to slow you down." Rubio remarked, conceding to Garro's retort.

The green horde kept rushing them while the Astartes cut a bloody path through them. Rubio felt the taint of Chaos on them, the mark of Khorne burned within their souls, driving them to greater acts of violence with no regard for their own survival.

"Goblins, Rubio. It's been two centuries now, keep up." Garro said, shaking his head. No matter what, Rubio seemingly insisted on calling them Gretchins.

"What does it matter, they're all the same. First they're green, and then they die. No difference." Rubio replied indifferently.

Libertas rose and fell, again, and again, an again, splitting flesh and bone as Garro advanced even further down the tunnel with Rubio following in his stride, sending more lighting out into the darkness ahead. The only real light in the tunnel was the soft blue glow of the crystalline circuitry in Rubio's psychic hood. It bathed the area around the former Codicier in its soft light. Garro didn't need the light as his helmets photo lenses allowed him to see regardless of the light level.

The last of the horde fell as Garro kicked the goblin out of the tunnel entrance and into the sewer canal ahead. The two Astartes stepped out and onto a walkway above the waters surface. They'd made it out of there, and were a step close to finding Loken.

"At least that's over with. Annoying things." Garro grumbled, looking over his shoulder at Rubio. The Psyker understood the gesture.

"We'll follow the path to the left. That's where I feel the densest Warp presence." Rubio said pointing a single armoured finger.

"Very well then. The sooner we move, the sooner we find Loken." With that said, Garro took the lead and broke into a run, not caring for any resistance that may come. Let them. It would do them no good to get in the way of an Astartes.

The hounds of Khorne rushed like bloody wind through the passage way, their rending claws clacking on the ground, the scratching sound echoing into the the dense shadows around them. They knew a new master in the Goblin Champion. They caught the scent of intruders and were unleashed by their handler, slobbering and snarling as they went to meet their prey. They smelled a coward. The smelled one who insulted the Blood God's pride. They smelled those who would only serve to sustain their hunger. The hunt was on.

The large cistern chamber was a place void of any decoration. A large rusted grate sat in the middle of the dome shaped chamber with a plunge straight down into a black abyss below the grate where water fell in torrents. Branching paths stretched off into dark voids all about the central chamber, with several of the paths being disused and crumbling, overflowing with water spewing out in between the bricks, giving way under the immense pressure they were tasked with holding back.

With the thudding of ceremite boots on stone, Nathaniel Garro and Tylos Rubio entered the chamber and stopped, surveying every possible path they could take.

"Which way, Rubio?" Garro asked impatiently. Rubio knelt and places the tips of his armoured fingers against the large circular grate, his eyes focusing on the pitch dark gullet that sucked in water like a black hole does all other things.

"I am feeling something. Something large. It is approaching us rapidly, be on your guard." Rubio warned tersely, readying his gladius and bolter as he stood. Garro turned and looked to where Rubio focused his gaze.

"What is it?" Garro questioned, his fingers flexing on Libertas' grip, while his other hand adjusted his finger's position on the trigger of his paragon bolter.

"Strange. It vanished. But that can't be…" Rubio trailed off as he stared perplexed into the darkness. They could both feel it; eyes on them from the gloom. Though neither could pinpoint where the sensation came from.

"Keep your senses extended, Rubio. Whatever it is, it's dangerous, and we can't have it getting a first strike advantage." Garro said, his voice low as his eyes scanned every dark corner, every shadow, and every opening into the chamber. The two Astartes stood back to back, weapons raised and ready.

"It is above…no…below? No. What is this? It keeps shifting. Where…" Rubio was cut off, as both he and Garro were sent flying as a large behemoth of a creature crashed through the grate they stood upon, spraying fetid, waste-filled water all about the chamber, soaking all inhabitants. With a mighty crash, the grate slammed down into the stone floor, cracking it and rolling a distance before falling. Rubio got to a knee and turned from where he'd fallen on his front, only to gave the grate fall on top of him with a great clash of rusted heavy iron against polished sliver ceremite.

Garro called out to Rubio, having come to a stop hitting a wall, only having to use the wall to stand himself up. He gathered up his bolter and eyes the abominable creature. It was a thing of scales and teeth. Abrasive black scales with patches of white lined its massive body. Large gashes parted the scales at irregular intervals, signifying sudden and rapid growth.

Four malevolent red eyes burned in its skull. It's mouth was arrayed with rows upon rows of teeth, all growing over and around each other like a serrated coral reef. Each lethal instrument of prey snaring was as long as an Astartes' forearm, similar to one of the Emperor's 'Angels of Death' in both durability and lethality.

A long scale-studded tail lashed and flailed about striking the walls of old brick, chipping away at them where they were strong, and taking out chunks of stacked brick where they were weak. At its tip, the foul glow of Warp fire lit the chamber wherever its tail went. The beast hissed and rumbled; a terrible sound generated it it's throat. The rumble was so loud it shook both Garro and Rubio to their bones through their armour.

Garro stood and opened fire on the creature, each mass reactive shell leaving naught but a dent in the scales, with some even sliding off of its rotund form and flying wide, striking the walls. The sound of bolter fire was like thunder clapping next to ones ear, deafeningly loud and echoing for untold lengths throughout the shadowy tunnels.

It rampage towards him, it's prone form taller than even him with jaws that could two of him laid down it its gullet ready to snap down onto him. It did so, not before Garro rolled and shot the monster again, this time eliciting a furious roar from it as a bolter round struck one of the crimson gashes in its side. It was a weakness that the old Astartes would exploit to its fullest.

Before another shot could be fired, searing heat and the colours of the Warp flashed as a bolt of Warp energy came screaming towards Garro from the beast's tail. He rolled again, but the explosion produced sent him sprawling. While his bolter clattered to the ground, his grip never left Libertas.

Rubio remained pinned underneath the iron grate, his torso and arms trapped. The creature Garro fought was subject to the same Chaotic corruption that he'd seen countless Legionaries fall to during the Heresy. He could feel the Warp taint emanating from the beast, rolling off of it in waves. He could only guess at how the creature managed to fool his senses the way it did, but he suspected it making use of short distance Warp jumps, or a type of psychic concealment. However, such speculation had to wait as Garro was on the defensive against the vile abomination.

He struggled under the grate as his arms were trapped in a way he couldn't leverage his arms enough to lift the grate from him, though he had the strength. With Garro surviving the creature's onslaught, Rubio would have to free himself. He focused his psychic energy, channeling it through the psychic hood mounted around his head.

The grate wobbled and clanked against the stone floor. The air around Rubio rumbled as his power gathered, ready the hurl the large iron construct off of him. With a tremendous burst of kinetic force, the grate rocketed across the chamber, freeing Rubio and striking the Warp creature, unbalancing it as it made to bite at Garro. The old Astartes darted for his bolter, snatching it up and turning to send a salvo of mass reactive shells into the beast, each shot followed by the bolter's booming roar.

"What are we looking at Rubio?" Garro questioned gruffly, loading another clip into his weapon. Rubio recovered his own weapons and join Garro at his side.

"Warp creature. It's not a Daemon, but something corrupted by Chaos." The Codicier replied.

"Well whatever it is, we'll need to finish this quickly." Garro said as he took aim and fired. Bolter rounds crashed against the scales of the beast, once more a round struck one of its wounds, eliciting another bone rattling roar.

"Those scales are too tough to pierce, but those gashes will provide ample opening. Rubio, keep its focus on you and try to take out its eyes. Manage that, and I will try and stuff a Krak Grenade it its side." Garro said. Rubio nodded and fired his own bolter at the beast's head, the rounds thudding against its skull, though seemingly not phasing the creature.

Quicker than the beast's size would suggest, it lunged, throwing its hulking crocodilian form at the Astartes with its powerful, stubby legs. It's jaws cracked together in the space Rubio occupied only a half-second before. Warp fire came coursing at the two and exploded between them, throwing the two aside. Garro recovered quickly and knelt, his keen gene-enhanced aim coupled with the target lock feature in his helmet aiding him in his next shot. The bolt round blasted the burning tip off of beast's tail. That was one less problem to deal with.

Another deafening roar came and with it, enraged thrashing that began to tear the stonework of the chamber apart as its head, tail, and limbs struck the walls, destroying them with the fury behind each blow. The place was quickly becoming unstable. Dust and rocks rained down from the domed ceiling above them, pinging and bouncing off of the Astartes battle plate.

"We can't stay here." Rubio informed, warning in his voice.

"I know. But we can't let this thing live to peruse us either." Garro replied tightly. He charged, making an opportunity of the beast's enraged flailing. A bolt of witch-lightning blasted from Rubio's hand, striking on of the creature's eyes, reducing it to a smoking hole in its skull. Just as the bolt struck, Garro jammed Libertas' mono-steel blade into the monster's side and prized it open. He grunted against the toughness of the tightening muscles, but finally opened it. With pin-pulled Krak Grenade in hand, he punched through the opening and released the explosive.

Ripping Libertas free, he turned and sprinted to Rubio. "Grenade is loose, now which way?" Garro asked hurriedly.

"Left tunnel!" Rubio yelled, turning and running as Garro followed. The cistern chamber was crumbling at a rapidly increasing rate as pressurised water began cutting out of the cracks like liquid mercury blades, spraying over the lime encrusted stone floor. The walls began to buckle under their own weight and loud cracks of agonised stone rang out in thunderous echoes.

The two Astartes sprinted and left the slower, hulking creature in their dust. Just as the sounds of collapse began to fade into the darkness, the immense explosion of the Krak Grenade struck like the raw power of natural lightning, booming throughout the tunnels. The pressure waves followed the tunnel's shape and rushed through both Astartes, causing only minor stumbles on their part. The sounds of further collapse followed with the rushing of water, then silence settled in.

* * *

Loken split one of the pack of Flesh Hounds in half as it leapt for his throat. The party had been set upon by a pack of abominable dog-reptile hybrids of crimson and black scales. Jagged brass collars adorned with leering skulls were around their necks, the inward facing points embedded in the flesh around their throats. They were large creatures, lean with powerful muscles. They stood around the height of Priestess, with physical power far outstripping any creature of their own size. Fearsome yellow eyes gazed at all as prey as they hunted for skulls for their bloody master's throne.

Paladin beat them back as she defended Priestess from their gnashing fangs and scything claws, encrusted with the blood of countless victims, and dusted with the powdered bones of the war dead of Khorne's plains.

Her mace met the lower jaw of a slavering beast, once again the blessed steel made quick work of the beast as teeth shattered, bone split, and flesh boiled. It fell but did not rise. High Elf cursed as her arrows once more failed to pierce their hide. The hound that came at her took a blast of stones to the face, and then had its back hacked into by Lizard Priest with his curved blade of bone. His weapon too was quite effective at parting the flesh of the unholy.

"Damn! Kinda feeling like the weak link here!" High Elf yelled in frustration as she watched Goblin Slayer slip under a leaping Flesh Hound and counter its turning swipe by jamming his short sword in its eye. The action gave Loken the opening he needed to take its head from its neck.

Paladin slammed her shield into a Flesh Hound, but it dug it's claws into the metal, burning itself on the blessed energy surging through the shield as it craned its neck, snapping its jaws at her face and neck. She fell under its weight and it had her pinned.

"It's got me!" Paladin called desperately as she did all she could to avoid the jaws of death within the hound's mouth.

"Close your eyes!" Priestess called as she raised her staff. "Holy Light!" Golden light burst from her staff and illuminated the passageway. Paladin trusted in her ability to avoid the Flesh Hound's bites as she held it off and closed her eyes. The Flesh Hound howled as the light burned its eyes, filling them with blinding white.

"I have it!" Loken yelled, his photo-lenses filtering out the light produced by Priestess. He kicked the beast off of Paladin, shattering its ribs under the force of the strike. He leapt, clearing ten feet and impaled the Flesh Hound with his power sword, driving the blade down through its side. He finished it off with a fierce stomp upon its skull, reducing it to flattened meat and pulverised bone.

Every hound lay dead. They'd come seemingly from nowhere, as even Loken's advance helmet systems and own keen senses for battle hadn't detected them. It was strange. He knew his auto-senses would have picked them up normally, but it seemed something was masking them. The initial attack had seen the party scramble and separate, though Loken's commands saw to it that they reform in a formation of frontline defence and backline offence. The spell casters would deal damage while the fighters would defend them. Though that became ineffective when a second group of hounds came in between the lines, forcing the frontline on the offensive.

Loken was glad everyone survived though, and unscathed at that. This group had a real talent for slaying Daemons and creatures of that nature. But they couldn't keep stopping. They had to move.

"Come, the rest of the goblins await." Loken said getting their attention. High Elf looked as though she had some concern about going forward.

"Yeah sure, but so far my arrows aren't doing anything." She said, gazing in disappointment at her quiver of arrows.

"I could try consecrating them. Here, let me try this." Paladin reached into a travel pouch resting on her hip and pulled out a small nondescript bottle with a golden cap along with a cloth. Undoing the cap, she tipped some liquid out as she pressed the cloth to the top of the bottle, creating small soaked spots on the cloth.

"Your arrows, please." Paladin requested. High Elf passed the quiver of arrows to her and watched curiously. Paladin wetted the tips of each arrow with the fluid on the cloth. Once that was done, she took a pendant from around her neck, knelt, held the pendant close to her face, and murmured a prayer to The Supreme God.

The arrows gained golden lines that flowed from arrow tip to shaft to fletching. The fletching at the end of the arrow gained a golden sheen, while the lines up the shaft and along the arrow tip lightly glowed as if burned in. High Elf looked at the Arrows in marvel.

"There. They're consecrated now, so they should have an easier time piercing the hide of Daemons." Paladin said with a small smile.

"Thanks. I really owe you one." High Elf said gratefully as she retrieved her arrows and slotted then into her quiver. She smirked a little at the possibility of being able to help out more.

"We've still more ground to cover." Loken said, exiting a quiet discussion he was having with both Goblin Slayer and Priestess. "We should move on."

The path ahead was going to be a rough one. However, they had survived thus far, and morale had been on a steady rise as their victories tallied higher. But all knew deep down that this was still far from over. The only question was what awaited them deeper within the darkness.

 **That's another chapter done. Took me slightly longer than usual but it's done now. I was going to make it into one big chapter, but decided I'm going to make a third part instead.**

 **Alright, so in case anyone is confused, Paladin is not the Knight we see in the Guild with bootleg Guts. They are two different characters.**

 **What I would like to know is if I'm getting the characters of Garro and Rubio correct, so anyone who as read the Garro books or Flight of The Eisenstein, please let me know.**

 **Remember to review, follow, fav and all that. Other than that, I'll see you next time. BrutalAftershock out.**


	5. Daemons Treachery

The Last Wolf

Chapter 5: Daemons. Treachery.

Loken led the charge through the darkness as he faced Bloodletters head on with High Elf's blessed arrows whizzing past him, weakening the Daemons they struck, giving the Astartes the openings he needed to cut them down. One by one, Loken's power sword fell, chopping through skulls, slashing torsos, and severing limbs before changing direction, cutting across in an executioners strike. Onward they pressed, further and further into the blood soaked lair of Khorne's horrors. Goblins of red skin and taut muscles, taller and more powerful than their green kin met them with shining brass weapons, crude simulacra of swords and axes. They rushed at the party drooling and roaring, swinging their heads one side to the other in berserker fury. Upon their chests and foreheads was burned the symbol of Khorne.

Their ranks slammed into the party with Loken taking on the majority, cutting them down as they swung and stabbed at his joints, though despite their berserker rage, there were tactics in their movements. They separated into battle groups of five, attacking each individual in force. Dwarf Shaman, Goblin Slayer, and Lizard Priest met them head on. Goblin Slayer dashed and lurched, using his speed and superior reach to rapidly stab and slash at the red goblins. Each blow he blocked with his shield felt far stronger than any blow he'd taken from a goblin before, like another man at arms was striking at him.

'Something's changed these goblins. They're much stronger and more aggressive than normal.' Goblin Slayer observed, disconcerted at their new behaviour. They didn't seem as if they were much for trickery though. They attacked one at a time instead of swarming, as if adhering to some goblin code of honour, of which he knew there was no such thing. It was like they were testing themselves, trying to prove their strength to the others.

Lizard Priest came in from the side and his blade of bone reaped through the goblins like wheat. More came to replace those lost and bellowed their challenge. Stones came rushing past Goblin Slayer and Lizard Priest like discharged bullets, shredding the bodies of the goblins. Dwarf Shaman nodded to them both. The clashing of brass on steel drew their attention followed by the meaty crack of a mace crushing a skull. Three of the red goblins laid siege to Paladin, bashing her shield, jabbing at her stomach and shins as she guarded Priestess with everything she had. She was a fierce bulwark against them, each blow glancing off of her heavy plate armour and each retaliatory strike felled a goblin, leaving its skull pulped.

'I see, they're adjusting their tactics based on the opponent. Paladin must seem like she's a heavy unit requiring teamwork. This doesn't sit well with me at all.' Goblin Slayer thought, cutting down another before blocking an oncoming strike. He turned it away and kicked out the goblin's legs and hacked through the back of its neck.

Almost all of Priestess' spells were used. Holy Light and her barrier spells were cooling down for the day, and she only had her low-tier healing spells. She made herself as small as possible to avoid the goblins, and as a means of staying out of Paladin's way. Lizard Priest waded into the fray swinging his bone blade through the goblins, his immense strength more than enough to cleanly carve their flesh and slice their bones. Gore slicked the ground and his blade, his cloth garbs stained red. For the moment, the assault on Paladin and Priestess abated.

"My thanks." She said to Lizard Priest gratefully. She looked behind her, lifting her helm's visor and checked on Priestess. "Are you alright?" Priestess nodded clutching her staff to her chest. She was pale and her skin felt clammy, but she felt relieved at the break in the siege on Paladin. A new spark of admiration came to life in the young girl as she looked at Paladin. She was like a one woman fortress, strong and unyielding, never bowed or broken. Just as she'd been taught Paladins should be. It was safe to say she was internally fangirling.

''Uh, y-yeah, just fine.'' Priestess said with a smile.

With a final fall of his power sword, the last Bloodletter was banished back to the Warp by Loken. Goblin gore spray slicked his armour, their remains smouldering, chunky slop on the ground having been sliced by his sword and pulped beneath his boots.

"We can't stop now! Onward!" Loken called, rallying the party to him. Advancing further, no more Daemons materialised, but a horde of Goblins rushed in from the shadows ahead. Loken waded onto the fray, punching and kicking, swinging his power sword in sweeping arcs. Bodies and skulls broke against his fists. Muscles pulped and skin ruptured under his boots. Blood cooked as it settled on his blade.

As he killed, Loken's mind wandered. He became lost in memory, his body moving on its own, slaying his enemies while remaining aware of his allies. He hadn't made his fellow Astartes aware of his reluctance to keep fighting after the Heresy. Istvaan III had stolen most of his will to fight, where he had died as Garviel Loken, and been reborn as Cerberus, only to become Garviel Loken once again, but broken and scarred. He knew he wasn't the same after the initial betrayal of Horus. The name sent liquid scorn coursing through his mind. He fought for answers and for vengeance in the thin guise of duty.

His singular desire went against the very purpose he was made for. He wanted peace. He didn't want to spill blood for someone else's ideals. He was made to fight and die all because he had been told he had to, and it was the right thing to do. After participating in countless compliances on a hundred worlds, he had seen that many human worlds just wanted to be left alone, away from the Emperor's war machine. He'd had many, many years to contemplate his life and its purpose, and found that he was unsatisfied. Eventually, he found himself only loyal to his brothers in the Knights Errant and to mankind itself, not the Imperium or the Emperor. The latter was not at all innocent in the downfall of the Legions and half of the Primarchs.

He was broken from his thoughts when Priestess called to him. He'd almost left them behind in his distracted slaughter. He turned to look at the party, seeing the ground in front of them had turned from dusty grey, to gore splattered red.

"I'm beginning to wonder if we're even needed." High Elf Archer muttered. Paladin heard her as she inspected some of the dents in her armour. She too was wondering just how necessary their presence was. Clearly no goblin would ever be able to take the Grey Knight down. Who was this man that he could wade through enemies with nary a moment of pause? He had said he was made what he was by some emperor, but that explained very little. Nothing in fact.

"Looks clear now. Can you hear anything approaching?" Goblin Slayer asked High Elf Archer. She took an knee and closed her eyes, focusing on the subtle vibrations in the air. She could hear the water below with crystal clarity, the mechanical heartbeat thrum of Loken's power armour, howl of wind from distant exits. There was no movement at that moment.

"We're good to go." She said standing up, and they carried on into the darkness. As Priestess made to move with the party, something at the edge of her hearing caught her attention. It had no definitive direction, seemingly all around her. It was like a whisper on the wind, but a word spoken from a mouth of fetid breath and rows of teeth. Behind her, next to her. Never in front.

''S..m...s'' she heard it again. ''...n...to...ou...'' she looked at the backs of her comrades moving further into the darkness. Shook her head and jogged to rejoin the party, dismissing the sounds as the wind, her imagination, the footsteps of her friends. Just anything but a voice. ''Samus...is the man...beside you...''

* * *

Khârn marched at the back of the group of shuffling fanatics, with Barial Tor and some of his favoured at the head. For the time being the knifing pulse of the nails in his skull abated, and he had clarity of thought.

The ambitious Word Bearer struck a chord of disgust within the World Eater, though most did. Only one hadn't and he had been Argel Tal, dishonourably killed by that serpent, Erebus. That name caused the nails to momentarily burn hot and stab at the meat of his mind. Kill signals pulsed through his brain, his sudden urge to gun Gore Child's trigger and butcher Barial Tor and his zealots was almost overwhelming, but he held back.

He didn't even know where they were going. He and several others had been brought to this unknown backwater world without explanation, simply told that the Powers has brought them as some kind of divine providence. So far, he and only a handful of Astartes had been summoned, some he knew, some he didn't.

A Night Lord and an Iron Warrior had joined them, both unknown to Khârn and as long as they stayed away from him he wouldn't kill them. The Night Lord was like his brothers under Curze, a transhuman murderer, as adept at inducing fear as an Apothecary used a scalpel. A jump pack rested on his back, the two turbine engines were silent and still, ready to belch fire and hurl the warrior of terror into his enemies with chain blade and lightning claw.

The Iron Warrior was a Tech Marine in Martian red battleplate with yellow and black hazard stripes across the edges of his gauntlets and boots. His power pack was configured as all Tech Marines had, with servo arms attached to a harness affixed to the warrior's chest armour. Two of the four extra appendages were occupied holding a Conversion Beamer. It was a powerful and esoteric weapon rarely seen in the Great Crusade, and even less during the Heresy. Thick power cables were plugged into ports on the marine's power pack, with an extra rig attached at the top of the servo harness to hold the weapon's own power source. The energy coils at the top of the weapon glowed and pulsed with blue light the colour of a glacier.

Khârn didn't know their names, and he didn't care to. They would later die or he would kill them himself, of that he was certain and he was satisfied with that. Around them the tunnel system changed, and they were no longer walking along narrow sewer walkways, but through vaulted ceiling tunnels with branching paths. Doorways and faded murals lines the walls. The murals themselves were unique in design, painted centuries ago if the chipping and faded colours were any indication. They depicted armies of armoured warriors, many mounted with more on foot. The expressions on the ones without helmets were stoic. Without a keen eye for detail, Khârn would have missed it, but amongst them in slate grey armour, obscured by the melee of warriors around him, was the worn depiction of a Space Marine with chain sword raised and bolter firing.

The World Eater stopped and stared, looking for more familiar things. This was interesting to Khârn, more so than the rantings of Barial Tor and his snivelling band of misfits. He stayed behind as they moved on, not caring that they had left as he studied the mural further. He saw the ancient form of a Contemptor Dreadnought stomping across the field in full sprint, rushing to engage with something too worn away by time to know what it was.

"Why is this here?" Khârn muttered, his voice was a rumbling hiss through his mouth grill. He'd never heard of this world, and no records he'd seen made mention of a world with such a variety of humanoid species coexisting. The level of technology would surely have been mentioned, being a primitive divergent of Caliban's with castles and knights, just without the power armour.

The colours were too faded for him to make any accurate judgements on the colours of the figures shown, though at a guess, the Contemptor looked as if it could have been from Dorn's seventh.

"Khârn?" He turned and faced the source of the voice, seeing nothing. His helmet auspex detected nothing, and no heat signatures were displayed when he switched his vision mode to thermal, only the blacks and purples of cold stone. He never chalked up to hearing voices in his head to the nails, as mind mangling as they were. "Khârn."

"Who's there?" He growled, a spasm shot down his arm and he gunned Gorechild's trigger. Something was setting him on edge. His teeth itched as they did whenever his personal space was being invaded.

"What are you doing here, Captain?" Khârn whirled, recognising the voice. It was impossible though. In the shadows mistaken for a glare of light on his display, he could see what looked like two faint, crystal blue eye lenses. There was an outline roughly the same as him in size, with a long curved blade at each hip. This was definitely impossible.

"Argel Tal?" He asked, a strange tightness in his throat. Disbelief made his grip on Gorechild slacken fractionally. He took a firmer hold of it again, snarling indignantly before bringing the massive weapon to bear, revving it in a mechanical growl. "No! Who or what are you, revenant!" He demanded, the nails threatening to take hold once more.

"You need to go, Khârn." The spectre said, not addressing his question. The ghostly warrior was adorned in the steel glimmer of the old Seventeenth, untainted by the arterial crimson of the Heresy. The oath papers on the surface of the armour were held in place by red wax seals that Khârn's eidetic memory, the undamaged parts anyway, remembered. This was Argel Tal, yet not him.

But who else could it be? Khârn silently argued within himself. This was Argel Tal wasn't it? But how, and why? That serpent Erebus killed him, whatever blasted sorcery killed his brother and sapped the daemon from his soul before sniffing it out. Does he strike? Does he listen? He didn't know.

"Khârn." The World Eater spun, swinging his Chainaxe around, barely stopping as he was met with the snarling faceplate of Barial Tor's helmet. The green eye lenses glinted. To the Dark Apostle's credit he didn't flinch or raise his crozius. Not many would have such confidence in their survival with Khârn, the bloody, the betrayer, swinging Angron's discarded Gorechild at their throat.

"You fell behind. Is there a problem?" Barial Tor asked. A bestial growl boiled in Khârn's throat. That tone, the false concern, the lofty superiority, grated on Khârn.

"Come no closer, _priest_." He spat, as if the word itself were the vilest of curses. Behind the Word Bearer, several of the hunched, malnourished creatures both human and other, watched. They shrunk further as Khârn's lensed eyes swept over them briefly. "Why did you come back? I'd have caught up."

"Because you are important, Khârn. The powers demand your participation. You-"

"Spare me your sermon. I grew tired of them before the Heresy, and they are even more tiresome now. More mouths than yours have spouted their ramblings at me. Save your breath." Khârn dismissed him with a scoff.

"Very well. Perhaps you would be happier to know a loyalist has been found down here with us. The whisperings have told me such." He could hear the smile on his voice.

"And I am to kill them? I'd have done so with or without your say so."

"No, no, I have something much more important for you to do. I know exactly where they're going, so Tulgon and Khreel will cut them off. It is only a loyalist and a group of mortals. Our time is better spent elsewhere." Said Barial.

Barial turned and left with his followers in tow, feeling Khârn's burning glare but overall was unaffected by it. He'd looked into the heart of Chaos and it would take more than the hateful gaze of a blood crazed madman to shake him.

Once he was alone again, Khârn looked back to where the spectre of Argel Tal had stood. He shook his head thinking it was just the nails, but there was undeniably something very real about it. He turned on his heels and stalked away to find Barial and his filthy congregation.

* * *

There was a lull that all present were grateful for, and the group were able to proceed uninterrupted for over 20 minutes. They came to a large wooden door braced by iron with a thick wooden beam stretching the great width of the door. The beam was split in the middle. Chewed, splintered wood blackened by the heat of friction made a mess of the useless locking beam.

"A Chainaxe did this." Loken said, pushing open the large, heavy door with one hand as he led the group of mortals forward.

"The weapon of that warrior you killed the other day?" Paladin asked. The mechanical hornet buzz of the weapon idling, and the bestial roar of its gunned trigger sent a shudder through her as she remembered it. She wondered in morbid curiosity just how much damage such a weapon would do to a person when wielded by such a powerful being. It would be extremely inelegant when compared to Loken's swordplay with his sword with lighting at its edge, that seemingly passed right through his enemies as they fell to chunks only a second later. A Chainaxe in his hands would rend and chew, spitting gore as it tore its victims asunder. Another shudder.

"Yes." He replied. "Keep your wits about you." His helmet auspex sent out a pulse. Nothing. There was no skittering in the walls that belonged to anything other than rats. Up ahead, chained from the ceiling by their wrists was a figure in old armour and a dusty surcoat, head down and unmoving. There were no life signs and no thermal signature of note. Whoever it was was dead, and had been for some time.

"A prisoner?" High Elf gasped, lowering her bow. Priestess took a step forward, eager to check on false prisoner. She was stopped as Goblin Slayer took hold of her arm. His instincts were sharp, and his knowledge of goblin trickery was second to none.

"There's no heat coming from them. No pulse, either. A trap." Loken said.

"Goblins like to use sympathy as a weapon against adventurers. They know most of the time that they'll try to save a prisoner." Goblin Slayer informed. From the top of the figure's head a wig of golden hair slipped of, revealing a bleached skull with a hole in it. The rough nature of the hole suggested something sharp had struck the unfortunate person's head and pierced it. A dagger perhaps? Or a kind of pick? It was hard to say.

The large door was slammed shut, and a loud thump against the door told Loken that something large and heavy had been placed against it. A sudden change in Loken's target lock had him instantly on guard, as memory served him well. The target lock was in the same position as it would be on an Astartes sized target.

A roar of jump jets made the mortals pause, while a warrior of the Night Lords came shrieking towards them with his revving chain blade and buzzing lightning claws. He slammed down in front of the false prisoner, his exhaust burners setting the thing aflame.

"I see the Dark Apostle was right. Tell me, loyalist dog, who owns the face I will cut from your skull?" The harsh processing of his voice through his vox grill stabbed at the ears of the adventurers.

"You won't live long enough for it to mean anything to you, traitor. But it is Garviel Loken who will cut you down." Loken bit, his power sword raised.

"I am Khreel. Let us begin." The jump jets roared again and carried him up, he took something from his belt and threw it at the group. The object gave a metallic clang against the ground and erupted into a cloud of smoke and light. Coughs and splutters interrupted screams and shouts as they found themselves blinded. Loken cycled through vision modes, settling on thermal sight. Up above he could track the heat coming from Khreel's jump pack.

However, he knew Night Lord tactics, and so knew he would toy with them before killing them. He came swooping low, lightning claw raised and ready to reduce Priestess to cauterised chunks of meat. Loken struck and his energised blade clashed with the other weapon with a thunder crack of colliding power fields.

Loken traded several blows with Khreel, the scything claws and ripping teeth of his chain blade striking the edge of Loken's blade. Khreel narrowly avoided the blade, jumping with a belch of fire from his jump pack and crashed back down, forcing his weight down against Loken. He was buying time until the others recovered from the flash grenade. He knew they could aid him against the Night Lord but surviving the initial attack was crucial.

Goblin Slayer blinked after images out of his eyes while thick smoke clogged his throat. He was fortunate that his helmet acted as a buffer between his face and the smoke as he found it far less choking than the others. He knew Paladin also benefited from her helmet being closed, as hers was even more enclosed than his. He could see the blooms of light like lighting through thunder clouds as power weapons clashed and chain teeth ground against armour.

"What the hell's happening?" High Elf cried out, rubbing her eyes and coughing.

"We need to move, we can't stay near them!" Paladin called. She knew first hand that getting between two brawling giants like them was not something a mortal should do. They had no business fighting an Astartes. She blinked rapidly as she tried to clear her vision. Hearing Priestess' coughs, she grabbed the girl and pulled her from the smoke cloud, while the others made their way out too.

"Everyone in one piece?" Paladin asked as her vision returned in full. Priestess nodded while rubbing her eyes. Dwarf Shaman, Lizard Priest, and High Elf Ranger gave their affirmation.

"What do we do?" Priestess asked as she frantically looked around. The door had been blocked, another warrior like Grey Knight had appeared and was battling their giant ally.

"Keep clear of those two and stay aware of our surroundings, now would be the perfect time for an ambush." Goblin Slayer couldn't have been more correct, as green goblins came rushing up from the darkness behind the Night Lord, with red goblins spliced in amongst them, organising them into rough approximations of combat units of ten to fourteen individual goblins.

"Get ready!" Goblin Slayer yelled as he raised his sword and shield. Arrows tore past him, High Elf Archer already into the action as her arms seemed to move with preternatural speed, from quiver to bow string and back again, loosing death onto the goblins. A bone warrior of Lizard Priest smashed into their ranks with its summoner, ancestor and descendant slicing with bone blades and crushing skulls with their tails.

Goblin Slayer was joined by Paladin. ''I have a defensive prayer that I can cast, but it will only last a short while!'' she called as she pulped a red goblin's skull with a savage swing of her mace.

''Do it!'' Goblin Slayer grunted while tearing his blade free of a torso, then spun quickly to slam his shield against a goblin's face, reducing one eye to a leaking burst orb of jelly and breaking teeth.

She muttered a prayer and golden light surrounded each of them, and a translucent golden glow wrapped tightly to their forms. Blades, arrows, clubs, and spears bent and broke against her protective ward. They engaged in the slaughter as Paladin smashed into them like a battering ram. Where her boots fell goblins were thrown aside, and her shield battered them while her mace crushed them. Minutes passed like hours as the fought the green tide, the floor becoming less that of stone and more of green flesh and red ichor.

Goblin Slayer split flesh with his sword swings, parried blows with his shield and countered. Arrows killed goblins in his blind spots, which he was thankful to High Elf for. The protective aura of defense faded, making them vulnerable once more.

"Uh, their numbers aren't going down! Why are there so many?" High Elf called, her concern growing with the number of goblins. She was attacked on her flanks, two of the little green monsters leapt at her with weapons raised. She threw herself away from them, but one of them caught her ankle. She kicked and scrambled, desperate to get away from them as her bow clattered to the ground.

Dwarf Shaman spared her a glance and began to move to her, holding off goblins of his own. The green tide was increasing the pressure on them with sheer weight of numbers. Despite his size, his dwarvern physique was a densely packed form of hard cut muscle that gave him strength rivalling the strongest of human men. His hand axe rose and fell, splitting skulls and severing limbs as he fought urgently to reach High Elf.

A piercing shriek rang out as a jagged dagger sank into the meat of High Elf's upper thigh, much to the delight of the goblins. She punched and scratched, managing to dig one of her thumbs into the large eye of the offending creature. She managed to barely bat away the other goblin's overhead swing, catching its elbows with her forearm. Her heart banged like war drums in her ears, and a tremor began to work its way up from her numb leg. Sweat began to bead all over her body.

Dwarf Shaman and Priestess were at her side, the Dwarf drenched head to toe in blood, slamming his axe home in the back of the goblin's head before it could attack again. Priestess jabbed with the sharp end of her staff, her aim and strength compromised by the adrenaline of battle rattling her body. Luck was on her side as the point struck the goblin's throat, pushing it back with a gag before the smile of Dwarf Shaman's axe hit home again, this time making the creature's eyes bulge from its head almost comically with the steel buried between its eyes.

"Goblin Slayer told me that goblin weapons are usually coated with poison and waste." She said mostly to herself as she pulled a small bottle out of a satchel on her hip. "Here, take this." She opened the bottle and placed it to High Elf's lips. The purple liquid was both bitter and acidic, causing a strange fizzing in her stomach as her body began to metabolise the poison out of her system with some magical assistance. The pace of her heart slowed, and her skin warmed from the cold clamminess of just moments before. Now only the pain of the wound remained.

Goblin Slayer and Paladin regrouped with them, standing ready to defend them. "Treat her wound, we have you." Paladin said, bringing her mace down on a goblin and flattening the face of another with her shield.

"The tide is thinning! Not many more now!" Lizard Priest called, still in the thick of slaughter with his Bone Warrior at his back. The bone warrior was suddenly shattered to pieces as both Night Lord and Luna Wolf barrelled through the air narrowly avoiding Lizard Priest as they grappled. Intense heat washed over him as Khreel's jump pack belched fire near him. Khreel kicked Loken free of his body, sending the Luna Wolf rolling and finally slamming into the wall, turning three goblins to gore paste under his weight. The Night Lord turned, setting his sight on the adventurers and attacked. He went for Goblin Slayer first, raising his lightning claw high and swiped at him. Goblin Slayer, by some form of providence evaded the attack, throwing himself out of the way of the buzzing scythe talons. Even through his armour he could feel the intense heat of the active power fields, and their electrical crackle-buzz set his teeth on edge. Goblin Slayer quickly got to his feet, body shaking with adrenaline. He'd almost died then, he realised. It would have been swift. Too swift.

As quickly as he'd stood, the churning teeth of the Night Lord's chain blade descended. Goblin Slayer blinked, and in a moment he found Paladin before him, shield raised and luminous with golden light. She'd dropped her mace to the ground and held braced her shield with both arms, struggling with all of her might against the traitor Astartes' immense strength. Sparks shot in all directions as the chain teeth nicked and scratched against the aura of divine protection enveloping her. It managed to hold the weapon back, even as some of the teeth bypassed the aura and ripped into the steel of her shield. Her struggle against the Night Lord lasted less than five seconds, but it felt like an eternity. She dropped to one knee, muscles screaming and bones creaking in protest as Khreel forced more strength into his arm, and swept his lightning claw back ready to slash her to pieces.

Three arrows struck him, one hit his right eye lens, another hit his mouth grill, and another struck his throat. All three were enough to make him instinctively flinch reflexively, especially when he felt a steel tip lightly press against his jugular. This distraction left him open for a mere fraction of a second. Loken's fist crashed into Khreel's face plate, denting the metal and cracking his left eye lens as the Luna Wolf tackled Khreel. The red glow guttered out leaving it a dark slit. A stone sarcophagus erupted into chunks as the two transhuman warriors smashed onto it, sending grey dust and black exhaust fumes up in a plume that engulfed half of the chamber. Loken was kicked in the chest and he sprawled back rolling to his feet poised to attack with his power sword glowing, power field eager to cut through ceremite.

Khreel had heard stories of Garviel Loken's prowess amongst the legions. He was a fast warrior, one of the fastest in fact, and skilled. He ranked amongst Lucius and Saul Tarvitz of the Emperor's Children, Khârn of the World Eaters, and arguably Sigismund of the Imperial Fists. He was the man who scarred Lucius' face. He was the man who had cast Khârn upon the dozer blades of a Rhino transport at the Siege of Terra. He would take his head. Nothing would have pleased him more. To see the look of abject terror on the mortals' faces when he had them all on their knees, and held Loken's head high. The thought spurred him to action, retaliating with a swipe of his lightning claw, then with his chain blade as he alternated his stance meeting Loken's attacks.

His jump pack still functioned as it sputtered smoke at first, then lit up screeching as jet fire sent him up. He struck Loken with the back of his scything talons, their tips grazing yet leaving four shallow scores from above the right lens to the top of the helm. Loken lurched back turning on a heel, already defending from the incoming swipe of the lightning claws, then the rushing onslaught of chain teeth and Khreel threw himself forward with the jump pack, pushing Loken back once more.

The Grey Knight strafed to the right and stabbed, his power sword was blocked as Khreel twisted, pulling himself away and swinging his chain blade up intending to split him from groin to head. Instead of blocking, Loken jammed tip of his blade into the chain teeth housing and twisted it. The housing split apart as the power sword cut through it on its wielders downswing and chain teeth were spat across the room like shrapnel as the mechanism tore itself apart. It was a difficult thing to do, as it required precise aim and skill that the heat of battle seldom allowed time to make use of, especially between Astartes.

"Maybe we should help him." Priestess said, having treated High Elf's wound. With the goblin numbers thinned, they'd begun retreating with the red goblins being dead and unable to organise them.

"No." Goblin Slayer said. He watched the two with quiet awe as they moved so fluidly and with speed that he'd seen nothing else be capable of. This was what Paladin had meant when she'd made mention of the Grey Knight's prowess. The speed of his movements, the power behind each strike, the weight behind him enough to crush a man. A precisely applied bludgeon, as oxymoronic as it seemed. "We'd only get in the way. We should go further in, find the main nest and destroy it. We can't be far away now."

"Maybe we should wait, though. What if there's more of them in there?" High Elf said, looking at their enemy. The Night Lord struck a horrific image with the faces of flayed victims stretched across his armour, and bones hung from his waist. From observing Grey Knight, it was clear to her that with those helmets on they could see in the dark. They would be at a severe disadvantage, even though goblins could do the same.

"Wait, what's that?" Paladin questioned, seeing a blue light in the distance. Loken had seen it too and reacted immediately, using that moment to push Khreel back and sweep his blade up in a vertical arc, severing his right arm at the elbow. He had only a moment to dive out of the way of the matter eating energy stream of a Conversion Beamer discharge.

"Get back, get through the door!" Loken bellowed at his team. Even with a severed arm, Khreel came at him with lightning claw poised and jump pack screaming. He bore down on Loken as he hunkered down, slashing wildly. The Grey Knight turned the claw away with his blade, suffering shallow puncture marks to his armour. He rolled and kicked out, striking the back of the Night Lord's knee and he hit the ground kneeling with loud clang of ceremite on stone. Again Loken's armoured fist collided with Khreel's faceplate, smashing the last good lens out in shards.

The Night Lord was met with stinging glass shards in his eye and blood filled his vision in it. Blinking it out was pointless, and his eye would clot shut anyway. He was allowed no moment of reprieve as an elbow struck him, another fist , and a final kick to the side of his head, and be sprawled to the ground, half blind and bleeding.

A beam of antimatter streaked towards the team. With every survival instinct screaming at her like the Earth Mother herself was warning her, Priestess swiftly turned. "Protection!" With that word a golden wall of divine energy was erected just in time to meet the antimatter beam, much to her surprise as she could have sworn she'd used up her Protection spells that day. There was a thunder crack that made their ears ring, and the buzzing of static while the light of the beam strobed and flickered. With no matter to consume, and magic's strange relationship with natural laws, the beam slowly died out with no matter to consume to power it.

"Dwarf, can you get that door open?" High Elf asked.

"Well I can't get through it, but I can break the stone around the door and take it down."

"Do it." Goblin Slayer ordered. Dwarf Shaman muttered the words of incantation, and the stone around the large door frame crumbled. The juddered and came loose, bowing forward before completely toppling to the ground with a loud smack of wood on stone that sounded like a gunshot.

"Out, quickly." Goblin Slayer said hastily, clambering over a heavy stone sarcophagus. He was the first out looking around for any sign of his enemy.

"Priestess, lets go! Now!" Paladin called as she's turned, seeing the girl stood with her protection spell still raised, the golden wall still repelling the beam of lethal energy. Curiously, no cracks appeared on it. Arrows and blades had cracked it, but not whatever this exotic weapon was using. Priestess has noticed this and was emboldened, the wall hardening further with her will.

The electric buzz of the weapon ceased momentarily and with it the light and heat of discharge. The noise was replaced with the serpentine hiss of cooling coils venting hot gas and cycling its coolant through the pipe work guts of the weapon, bringing the core temperature of the weapon back down from dangerous levels.

It was then that Khreel died. His struggle against Loken ended when his compromised sight and the loss of his right arm had sealed his fate. Loken's blade sliced through the power cable serving as the link between the lightning claw and Khreel's armour, stripping the claws of their power fields. Then as Khreel pulled his arm back, Loken followed quickly and stabbed, impaling him through the stomach. The blade twisted and pulled up, splitting the Night Lord from stomach to shoulder. He fell in two, held together at the waist by meat and loose fibre bundles. His body hit the ground with a bang and the slick sound of spilling viscera, sat up by his jump pack.

The Conversion Beamer was focused on him, the firing system spinning up as exotic technologies of unknown function set to work. Heat and light gathered in the barrel of the weapon accompanied by the static buzz of antimatter charge. Just then, Tulgon heard something inside of his helmet, nodded, and turned to leave as he released the weapon's trigger.

Goblins rushed past him and covered his escape, and the churning, growling rumble of a chainaxe met their ears from the darkness. Tall as a Primarch, a figure of red slabs of muscle in brass armour lumbered from the shadows, murder in mind and hunger in its belly. In its hand was a chainaxe bound to its forearm with iron chains.

"A hob? No… not a lord either… a champion." Goblin Slayer said, himself having seen few goblin champions in his eternal slaughter quest for revenge. He could clearly see it had fallen to the sway of the same powers that the lesser creatures had, but it benefited much more than they did. He'd never seen such a large goblin, and the… Ogre, if he remembered correctly, was the only thing he could think of that was bigger.

Loken stepped away from Khreel's bisected corpse, not at all surprised that the traitor Iron Warrior had left at the first sign of defeat. He eyed the champion, certain he could kill it. But he hadn't accounted for something, and it took him completely unaware.

With Khreel's death, the life monitor inside of his armour gave a long, steady beep as his vitals flatlined. That sound continued to get higher in frequency until the sarcophagus next to him, and the others around the chamber detonated in a crack-boom crescendo as stone sundered and exploded outward. The floor caved and Loken was swallowed by the earth as charges rigged inside of the sarcophagi sent stone shrapnel everywhere, smashing goblin skulls and blinding others.

His team took cover behind the fallen door as within a split second, Lizard Priest used his immense strength to lift the door in front of them, bracing it from behind. Tiny chunks of stone skittered across Paladin's armour as she looked out at where Loken had been a moment before, and worry seized her. She could barely see due to the dust and smoke sent up, mingling in the air as chalk white and gunpowder black mixed into dense grey smog.

"Grey Knight! Where are you? Say something!" Paladin called out through the choking mist. No thing but the footsteps and snarling of goblins met her ears. "Loken!"

* * *

 **Another chapter done. It's really hard trying to come up with believable combat scenarios with the party and traitor space marines, since they stomp anything that isn't another space marine or higher tier combatant. Well that's all for this time. I do have more former Knights Errant planned to join Loken after Garro and Rubio. I do plan to hurry the story along next chapter though, been stuck in the sewers for way too long. Please review, follow, fav, all that good stuff. Until next time, BrutalAftershock out.  
**


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